BUDAPEST, Hungary – Make it three events, three world records for Summer McIntosh so far at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, Hungary.
The 18-year-old sensation from Toronto won the women’s 400-metre individual medley in 4:15.48 Saturday for her third gold medal – and third $25,000 world record prize – at these championships.
The Duna Arena was buzzing with world record after world record on Day 5 of the six-day world short-course championships. Noe Ponti of Switzerland (men’s 100-m butterfly), Jordan Crooks of Cayman Islands (men’s 50-m freestyle), and American Gretchen Walsh – twice (women’s 100-m butterfly and 50-m freestyle) – set world records earlier in the evening. That set the stage for the 400 IM, and McIntosh delivered in style.
“It was super surreal. The crowd was extra energetic tonight. There’s a lot more people in the stands so feeding off that energy going into the final was a really fun way to do it. I knew it was going to be one of the toughest world records to break,” McIntosh.
Earlier in the week McIntosh, who trains with Brent Arckey at the Sarasota (Fla.) Sharks, lowered the world standards in the 400 freestyle and 200 butterfly.
Just as with the 200 fly two nights earlier, it was Spain’s Mireia Belmonte Garcia who McIntosh passed in the record books, taking nearly three and a half seconds off her 2017 time of 4:18.94. With three world record swims this meet and six in her career, she turns her focus to the 200 backstroke – a new addition to her international program – as action wraps up Sunday.
“To go 4:15 was definitely not in my wildest dreams, so overall I’m pretty happy with that,” she said.
Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivieres, Que., who trains with Greg Arkhurst at Montreal’s CAMO club, was fourth in 4:26.09.
The mixed 4×100 medley relay capped the night with a bronze medal in the first ever edition of the event. The team of Ingrid Wilm, Finlay Knox, Ilya Kharun and Harvey combined for a time of 3:31.97 to set the Canadian record. The morning team of Blake Tierney, Sophie Angus, Knox and Penny Oleksiak briefly held an unofficial world record with their time of 3:36.30 fastest in the second-last heat. It’s the event’s debut at these championships, but World Aquatics will not acknowledge a world record or pay out the $25,000 prize money for the fastest time at this meet. Tierney, Angus and Oleksiak also receive medals.
Canada has 13 medals (4 gold, 3 silver, 6 bronze) after five days of the six-day world short-course championships. The only country with more is Team USA’s 30 (14-11-5). Canada earned 14 medals at the Melbourne 2022 edition of the championships, topped only by Abu Dhabi 2021’s total of 15. Canada has tallied more medals (42) at the last three world short-course championships than the first 14 combined (39).
Kharun (1G-3S-1B) and Wilm (2S-3B) lead the way with five medals each, while McIntosh (3G-1B), Harvey (S-3B) and Knox (2S-2B) have four each.
“It’s been a really confidence building event and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the year goes,” said Wilm, the 26-year-old Olympian who trains with Dave Johnson at Calgary’s Cascade Swim Club.
Knox, the 200-m medley bronze medallist, has now been part of three relay medals and set five Canadian records, including the 50 breaststroke Saturday morning, finishing 19th with a time of 26.30.
“Any opportunity I have I’m going to take it and give it everything. Over the past few days I’ve been able to kind of showcase my broad stroke talent,” said the 23-year-old from Okotoks, Alta., who trains with Scott Talbot at the High Performance Centre – Vancouver. “Not only does it give me confidence, it also gives me something to review back and improve on for the long-course season.”
In the men’s 400 IM, Tristan Jankovics lowered the Canadian record for the second time of the day, swimming 4:00.57 to finish sixth in the final.
“There’s a lot of energy, it was a lot of fun. It was really special to be out there with some of the biggest names in the sport and being able to compete,” said the 20-year-old from Puslinch, Ont. “I just used the energy around me to help feed my speed. When I came off the introduction, I was pumped up and ready to go so I definitely used that to my advantage.”
In his heat swim Jankovics took down the oldest active record in Canadian swimming. His time of 4:02.01 in the men’s 400 IM cut 0.71 off the 21-year-old mark Brian Johns set at the 2003 Canadian university championships (then a world record).
Earlier in the meet Jankovics posted personal bests in the 200 IM, leading off the men’s 4×200 freestyle relay, and a relay split best in the men’s 4×100 free.
“Those other swims have helped me just kind of feel the energy for that race. That’s my main event so the events before helped me really warm into it,” he said.
In other action Saturday, Sophie Angus of the High Performance Centre – Ontario finished 13th in the women’s 50-m breaststroke with a time of 30.03. The 25-year-old Olympian advanced to semifinals with a personal best 30.02 in her morning preliminary heat.
Another Canadian record was lowered by Knox. Showing off his sprinting skills, the two-time Olympian took down the previous 50 breast record by 0.17 seconds.
Alexanne Lepage of Kelowna, B.C., swam a personal best 30.25 in her 50 breaststroke heat to finish tied for 17th.
Meanwhile, Montreal’s Timothé Barbeau lowered his personal best to 7:48.20 in his 800 freestyle heat to finish 25th
CBC Gem and https://www.cbc.ca/sports will stream with international commentators Sunday beginning at 3 a.m. ET for heats and 11:30 a.m. for finals.
CBC TV will feature a highlight show Saturday, Dec., 21, from 1-2 p.m. ET with top performances from Day 6 voiced by play-by-play commentator Rob Snoek alongside Rio 2016 Olympic swimming medalist Brittany MacLean as analyst.
Swimming Canada and @cbcolympics will also be posting content across their digital platforms, including a live post-finals show on CBC Sports YouTube hosted by MacLean and on-site reporter Devin Heroux.
Full results: https://www.omegatiming.com/2024/world-aquatics-swimming-championships-25m-live-results