Holding a World Record at 17, Summer McIntosh Destroys Two Targets With a Single Finish at US Open Swimming Championship

Katie Ledecky has ruled the U.S. pools for more than a decade. However, her undefeated streak ended yesterday as her northern rival handed her the first loss in the home pool. Four-time world champion Summer McIntosh went almost breathless for the women’s 400m freestyle title at the Toyota U.S. Open. She beat the U.S. swimming star by nearly three seconds. 

Summer McIntosh held the 400 m world record in 2022 for almost three months before losing it to Australian Ariana Titmus. In the U.S. Open, the Canadian phenom regained her mastery over the pool and set a remarkable record in the process. 

Summer McIntosh set 400 m meet record

Olympian Britt Mac shared a picture on Instagram of Summer McIntosh from the podium. She captioned the picture, “All business here for @summerrmcintosh She takes the 400 free easily, winning in a time of 3.59.42. Making a HABIT of these sub-4 minute swims”. As a postscript, she also added, “To put it into perspective, the time tonight is FOUR seconds faster than any other Canadian has been in this event. Ever. Also, beats her time from the 2023 World Championships”. The 17-year-old swimming prodigy from Toronto made two bold statements at the meet. First, she set a new meet record in the 400m event, erasing Katie Ledecky’s dominance from the event’s history. Second, she surpassed all other Canadian swimmers regarding speed at the event. 

Katie Ledecky took the silver with a time of 4:02.38. She produced a brilliant contention for the crown, but the Canadian ace led the charge from the start to the finish. McIntosh revealed the secret behind her sensational swim, which earned her many brownie points from the fans. 

Learning through the failure is the secret

Summer McIntosh spoke to the media to pronounce her love for swimming. Wearing a Saratoga Sharks Swimming t-shirt, she said, “I still feel like the 14-year-old to be honest…I have grown so much in and out of the pool, and that’s something I am really proud of”. She said something very similar during the 2023 World Championships after missing the podium in the 400 m event. McIntosh said, “I’ll just kind of learn through this, learn from this, and kind of start to move forward for the rest of the year”.

Read More: Video: 16-Year-Old Australian Swimming Sensation’s World Record Breaking Performance Leaves Family Emotional

Thus, her swimming success is predicated upon learning. With her dedication to improving herself, she is turning out to be a lethal force in the pool. In the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, Summer McIntosh will be the one to watch. 

Watch This Story: 16-Year-Old Swimming Prodigy Summer McIntosh Bounces Back After Losing to Katie Ledecky in the 400m Freestyle