Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Nineteen-year-old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh shattered the longest-standing individual women's swimming world record on Sunday (July 5) at the Canadian Swimming Trials in Montreal. McIntosh completed the 200-meter butterfly in 2 minutes, 1.65 seconds, breaking the previous record of 2:01.81 set by China's Liu Zige in 2009 during the super-suit era.
McIntosh's achievement was met with cheers from the crowd as she celebrated her victory. "That was the one world record that I’ve always dreamt of as a kid," McIntosh said, according to MyPlainview. "To now do it is really incredible." She had come close to breaking the record last year, finishing just 0.18 seconds shy during the world championships.
The race was a significant moment for Canadian fans, marking McIntosh's first major competition since moving to Austin, Texas, to train under Bob Bowman, the renowned coach of Michael Phelps. Bowman expressed excitement over McIntosh's performance, stating, "It’s always special... It’s fun to see her start the meet off that way," as reported by Oskaloosa News.
McIntosh is set to compete in additional events, including the 400 IM on Monday, the 400 free on Tuesday, and the 200 IM on Wednesday, before heading to the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California. Her record-breaking performance has set the stage for a promising future in competitive swimming.