Summer McIntosh smashes women's 400m freestyle world record at
Canadian swim trials
CBC Sports | Posted: June 7, 2025 1:45 PM | Last Updated: 5
hours ago
Toronto native eclipses mark set by Australian Ariarne Titmus
Image | Summer McIntosh
Caption: Summer McIntosh celebrates after setting a new world
record in the women's 400-metre freestyle event Saturday in
Victoria. (Devin Heroux/CBC Sports)
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Canadian Summer McIntosh smashed the women's 400-metre freesyle
world record Saturday night, touching the wall in three minutes
54.18 seconds at the national swimming trials in Victoria.
McIntosh eclipsed the mark set by Australia's Ariarne Titmus
(3:55.38) back in 2023 at the world championships in Fukuoka,
Japan. She beat the other swimmers by more than 13 seconds.
McIntosh celebrated her fourth career long-course world record
by slapping the water twice with her right hand then pumping
her fist.
It was an unusual show of emotion from the usually stoic
18-year-old.
"Going into tonight I knew that my training had been strong the
past couple months and I knew I was able to do something
special, but I did not think I would be that fast," McIntosh,
who shaved the record by 1.20 seconds, told CBC's Devin Heroux.
WATCH | Summer McIntosh demolishes world record:
Media Video | Summer McIntosh demolishes world record in 400m
freestyle at Canadian swimming trials
Caption: Toronto's Summer McIntosh wins the women's 400-metre
freestyle final at the Canadian swimming trials from Victoria,
B.C., with a world record time of 3:54:18.
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Ella Jansen of Burlington, Ont., finished second in 4:07.36,
under the AQUA A qualifying time of 4:10.23, good enough to be
selected to Team Canada for the World Aquatics Championships
July 26-Aug. 3 in Singapore.
The 400 free was her first-ever world record when she swam
3:56.08 at the 2023 Canadian trials, but Titmus lowered the
mark to 3:55.38 at world championships later that year.
McIntosh finished behind Titmus for silver at last summer's
Paris Olympics to go with the gold medals she won in the 200
and 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly.
She also holds the 400 IM world record, plus the 400 free, 200
butterfly and 400 IM in the short course pool.
After becoming the first women ever to swim under 3:55.00, the
world-record performance even surprised the three-time Olympic
champion.
"I was really not expecting that time," she said. "Just seeing
the time after two years of really pushing my hardest every
day... and then finally having an amazing swim in it is really
really satisfying."
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After hearing American icon Micheal Phelps was the last one to
set a world record in the same Victoria pool, McIntosh shared a
smile before saying, "I've always looked up to Michael, he is
the GOAT of swimming".
Saturday night's event is only the beginning for McIntosh. She
still has races in the women's 800m freestyle, 200m freestyle,
200m butterfly, and both the 200m and 400m individual medleys.
"I'm really excited to see what I can do the next couple of
days".
Masse takes 100m backstroke
Five-time Olympic medallist, Kylie Masse won the women's 100m
backstroke in 58.18 seconds, beating her own time she swam at
Paris 2024.
After the race, the 29-year-old from LaSalle, Ont. explained
what made this race special for her.
"This year's been different for me, just taking a little bit of
a step back but obviously at the same time still putting in the
work."
WATCH | Masse wins women's 100m backstroke title:
Media Video | Kylie Masse wins women's 100m backstroke title at
Canadian swimming trials
Caption: Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., finishes first in the
women's 100-metre backstroke final at the Canadian swimming
trials from Victoria, B.C., with a time of 58.18.
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And with that step back Masse added that being able to spend
time with her loved ones "fills your cup in a whole other way".
After taking down her 50m Canadian backstroke record a few
weeks ago, Masse told CBC Sports "I just feel like I have a
different perspective on the sport and I'm really grateful to
be here still and be able to put down a time that was faster
than I did at the Olympics."
* Blossoming superstars ready to take centre stage at
Canadian swimming trials in Victoria
* Summer McIntosh is figuring it out at the Canadian swim
trials
Mary-Sophie Harvey, of Laval, Que., won the women's 200m
breaststroke in a personal-best time of 2:23.40. It was also
her first trials win.
"It's kind of crazy," Harvey told CBC Sports's Devin Heroux. "I
was telling my coach I've never won an event at trials. I think
I've had so many second places, and I never thought it would be
the 200 breaststroke for the first one. I'm pretty happy where
I'm at right now."
Other winners include:
* Oliver Dawson, of Grande Prairie, Alta., men's 200m
breaststroke (2:11.25).
* Cole Pratt, of Regina, men's 100m backstroke (54.27).
* Ethan Ekk, men's 400m freestyle (3:49.57).
* Aly Van Wyck-Smart, Toronto, women's 50m breaststroke (SB2)
(1:47.31).
* Ali Diehl, Prince Albert, Sask, women's 100m breaststroke
(SB9) (1:24.44).
* Nicholas Bennett, Parksville, B.C., men's 100m breaststroke
(SB14) (1:05.13).
Coverage of the national swimming trials in Victoria B.C.
continues on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem from June 7-12th.
WATCH | CBC Sports' The Ready Room discusses storylines from
national swim trials:
Media Video | Will Summer McIntosh break a world record? And
other storylines ahead of Canadian swim trials
Caption: Brittany MacLean Campbell and Devin Heroux both agree
we'll see at least one world record from Summer McIntosh when
Canada's swimmers meet in Victoria, BC for the 2025 Canadian
swim trials. They break down the top storylines you should know
before streaming begins June 7-12 on CBC Gem.
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Katie Ledecky dominates 1,500m for 3rd U.S. title
Katie Ledecky won her third national title of the week on
Saturday when she cruised to a victory in the women's 1500
meters at the U.S. Swimming Championships in Indianapolis.
Ledecky won the event in 15 minutes, 36.76 seconds, which was
16 seconds shy of the world record she set in 2018.
"I just wanted to put together a pretty even swim, hold a good
pace," Ledecky said afterward. "That one hurt, but I'll take
it."
Ledecky held a big lead throughout the entire race. Jillian Cox
finished 29 seconds behind in 16:05.88 and Kate Hurst reached
the wall in 16:16.06.
Ledecky earned titles in the 400 and 800 meters earlier in the
meet.
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