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McIntosh Moves To #8 All-time With 2:04.70 200 Butterfly World Junior Record

2023 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

Summer McIntosh clocked a brand new world junior record on night four of the 2023 Canadian Swimming Trials, hitting a 2:04.70 in the 200 butterfly. McIntosh’s time improved upon her own Canadian and world junior record of 2:05.05 from the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series earlier in March.

McIntosh swam more than a second faster on the first 100 of this record-breaking swim, touching in a 58.76 compared to the 1:00.25 she opened with on her 2:05.05. Her second 50 split was also a second faster this time around at a 31.35.

Split Comparison

March 31, 2023 March 2, 2023
50 27.41 27.76
100 58.76 (31.35) 1:00.25 (32.49)
150 1:31.40 (32.64) 1:31.94 (31.69)
200 2:04.79 (33.30) 2:05.05 (33.11)

McIntosh won this event at the 2022 World Championships when she swam a 2:05.20, which was also a world junior and Canadian record at the time. She’s now almost a second faster than she was in 2022 and is the quickest female in the world this season so far. She’s now under 2:05 while no one else globally has cracked 2:07.

2022-2023 LCM Women 200 Fly

ReganUSA
SMITH
12/02
2:03.87
2Summer
McIntosh
CAN2:04.06 WJR07/27
3Elizabeth
Dekkers
AUS2:05.2606/16
4Lana
Pudar
BIH2:06.2607/08
5Laura
Stephens
GBR2:06.6204/06
View Top 26»

In terms of historical rankings, McIntosh’s swim is the 14th-fastest 200 butterfly in history and she is the 8th-fastest performer in history. The top 7 in this event are an incredibly elite field that have all swum a 2:04.69 to faster.

All-time Performers – Women’s 200 Butterfly

  1. Liu Zige – 2:01.81 (2009)
  2. Jess Schipper – 2:03.41 (2009)
  3. Zhang Yufei – 2:03.86 (2021)
  4. Jiao Liuyang – 2:04.06 (2012)
  5. Mary Descenza – 2:04.14 (2009)
  6. Katinka Hosszu – 2:04.27 (2009)
  7. Natsumi Hoshi – 2:04.69 (2012)
  8. Summer McIntosh – 2:04.70 (2023)

McIntosh has now added a third event to her potential lineup at the 2023 World Championships, giving her an opportunity to defend her title. This is her third major record of the meet as she broke the 400 freestyle world record on day one and the 200 IM world junior record on day three.

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Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

Everyone had been tagging on Rowdy all through NCAAs for diminishing great swims for saying outrageous numbers – but then most of the comments did the same here with the 2fly…

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

she didn’t break the wr but she broke 2:05!

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

Idk why I let those dorks talk me into her getting this record!!

I mean if anyone we currently know of is going to get it, it’ll be her. But even going under 2:03 at this point would be an insane swim.

IM FAN
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

I think in the hype for Summer the ridiculousness of the women’s 2 fly record was forgotten. No one has been within 2 seconds of it since it was swum, and only other swimmer has ever been within 2 seconds of it, done also with the aid of a supersuit as was the record itself.

The splits of Zige’s swim speaks for themselves, after flying first 100 of 58.00 the swimmer also needs to put together two more 50s in under 32 seconds to close in under 1:04, a feat impressive on its own.

With talent like McIntosh it is easy to lose perspective of what exactly such benchmarks represent. If anyone I think ponders the implications of… Read more »

jeff
Reply to  IM FAN
1 year ago

any prediction for McIntosh to actually break the record this week was completely ridiculous. the percent drop that it would’ve taken to go from 2:05.05 to 2:01.81 would’ve been similar to McIntosh dropping from 1:54.1 to 1.51.1 in the 200 free or 2:08.0 to 2:04.7 in the 200 IM.

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

she dropped 3.24 seconds to break the 400 free wr. to get the 200 fly wr, she would have needed to drop the same amount of time from her 2:05.05, in an event that is half the distance and further into her program compared to the 400 free. and even then she would have only tied the wr, not broken it outright

Swimmka
Reply to  IM FAN
1 year ago

Well it seems that this is the specialty of 200 fly. No one got 2 seconds ( apart from Phelps) close to the word record holder, Milak in 200 M fly neither.

Isla
1 year ago

Oh wow she took that out like a rocket and still actually closed pretty decently. If she keeps going 58.xx on the front half sooner or later she’ll swim something ridiculous

Yozhik
1 year ago

All these talks about WJR and about making to the list of best performers in multiple events put some shadow on her super achievement of 3:56.08 in 400FR
People don’t comprehend how monumental this result is. When Ledecky became 4sec ahead of competition it looked then that this record would stay for decades. When after 6 years Titmus improved it just for 0.06sec she became a hero who not only won against Ledecky in some particular race but broke her personal best aka world record. And now Summer McIntosh broke these efforts of giants like it’s nothing. Almost casually. Of all her projected future achievements the world record in 400FR was considered the least possible and she did it… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by Yozhik
Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Yozhik
1 year ago

here’s yozhik making an incoherent comment yet again

Beach Jason
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
1 year ago

Everything he said was simple to understand and basic logic

Stephen Strange
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
1 year ago

Yozhik hates all phenomenal female swimmers not named Ledecky.

He’s so insecure that you would think he’s the one who had the records and gold medals.

I’m 100% sure Ledecky herself is nowhere as insecure.

Islandtime
Reply to  Yozhik
1 year ago

>goes 2:04 as a 14yo female
“Good but nothing really that impressive” -Yozhik

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Islandtime
1 year ago

16yo but yes

crazycanuck
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
1 year ago

i mean were to the point of an under 2:05 2 Fly which a tiny handful of swimmers have achieved is considered good but nothing really impressive?!! and she is 16yo! ok I’m in disbelief!!

jeff
Reply to  crazycanuck
1 year ago

yeah Mary T Meagher’s legendary 2:05.96 15-16 NAG is still untouchable (Regan Smith and Lillie Nordmann are 2 and 3 all time with 2:07.42 and 2:07.43) and here comes a Canadian who goes faster than that time twice at 15 and once more at 16 (and most likely at least one more time if not more before turning 17)

AND it’s not even her best event, by the time this meet is over this 200 fly could very well “only” be her 4th or 5th best swim of the meet

Last edited 1 year ago by jeff
jeff
Reply to  Yozhik
1 year ago

idk I thought the 400 free was the second most likely after the 400 IM- it was her debut event at the senior international stage after all. Summer set PBs of 4:02.42 at the age of 14 years 11 months, 3:59.32 at the age of 16 years (minus 2ish weeks), and 3:56.08 now at the age of around 16 years and 7 months. Linearly interpolating Ledecky’s times gives her PBs of around 4:09.00 at the first age, 4:01.8 at the second age, and 3:59.47 at the third age (McIntosh’s current age)

jeff
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

it’s not to say that I expected it this early, but simply that with proper training, taking that world record felt inevitable

Riser
Reply to  Yozhik
1 year ago

I have to disagree that Summer’s 200IM and 200Fly in your words nothing really impressive. 4th best all time swim for the 200IM and 8th best all time in the 200 Fly by any standard is very impressive.

As for the 400 Free WR by Summer being almost forgotten is simply not true. That record swim sent shock waves around the swimming world that will be felt for quite a long time not just because of the time but also because the record had the names of Ledecky and Titmus on it before McIntosh took it down. Those three are arguably the top three swimmers in the world currently which just adds to the drama and intrigue leading up… Read more »

Troyy
Reply to  Yozhik
1 year ago

You kind of had a point up until you insulted the 200 fly and 200 IM swims.

Stephen Strange
Reply to  Troyy
1 year ago

That’s always Yozhik M.O.: backhanded complements.

He does it for years against phenomenal female swimmers ever since 2013 Barcelona when Ledecky rose to stardom.

It’s really pathetic.

jeki
Reply to  Yozhik
1 year ago

won against Ledecky in some particular race” LOL

Titmus actually won every time when it really mattered. Worlds, Olympics are not “some particular” race(s).

PS: I am really a fan of both of these superstars.

JimSwim22
1 year ago

Depth & progression in W2Fl has been absolutely abysmal for 42 years

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  JimSwim22
1 year ago

That’s simply not true.

That 2:05.96 is still the single greatest swim in history, and was 2-3 decades ahead of its time.

Susie, Misty, Petria and Olga got back into that range in the early 00’s then Jess, Kantinka and Liu pushed past it by the end of the decade.

Even in 2012 there was some forward momentum post shiny suits, it was just less noticeable because of how far away it was from the super-suited record.

Yes it’s been quite stagnant for decade since until Zhang and Summer, but to suggest it’s been abysmal since Mary T’s WR is completely inaccurate and disingenuous.

Dee
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

Agree 100%.

I’d argue the women’s 200fl progressed particularly well post Meagher and culminated in unprecedented depth by the end of the ’00s and into the early ’10s. 2.05s were routinely missing medals during that period (Hersey, Hoshi etc), Schipper finished last in the final of the world champs in 2011 in a faster time (2.06.6) than Meagher went to win gold in ’84 (4s ahead of silver, nobody else broke 2.10) and 2.09s were going out in heats. The event has certainly seen happier days, but in terms of competitiveness it was one of the standout events on any programme a decade ago and here’s hoping we can get back to that soon.

HJones
1 year ago

Fun fact: Liu Zige’s WR swim wasn’t even in the “super-duper suits” Arena or the Jaked made in 2009, it was done with the LZR racer.

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  HJones
1 year ago

That swim is still amazing to watch – she just doesn’t slow down.

Dee
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

It was a real mind-boggler – 58.0 at halfway, dropped to a 32s third 50 and you’d bet your house on her dying, then she spouts wings, finds another gear and goes 2.01 – Insane.

Stephen Strange
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

One of the most breathtaking swims I’ve seen.

Joel Lin
1 year ago

Well, I’m guilty of getting too hype on the NCAA women’s meet standouts. McIntosh is on a different plane now. She’s well clear of the best in world now in the events she swims. Simply fabulous.

Last edited 1 year ago by Joel Lin
Stephen Strange
Reply to  Joel Lin
1 year ago

Well, I’m guilty of getting too hype on the NCAA women’s meet standouts

—-

But why?

*Every year* Swimswam got too hype on NCAA/SCY, and when the results don’t translate to LCM, they’re surprised.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Stephen Strange
1 year ago

So what was your username before this change, seems to have been around a while.

And do they really never translate?

Stephen Strange
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

I have a reply guy.

How cute.

Joel Lin
Reply to  Stephen Strange
1 year ago

Pretty sure the exceptional performers at women’s NCAA meet will translate well into LCM.

It’s not as if Maggie, Huske & Walsh haven’t won Worlds or Olympic gold medals.

Jimmyswim
Reply to  Joel Lin
1 year ago

Huske didn’t win any events at NCAAs. Of the two best performers at women’s NCAAs, neither has a LCM World or Olympic title and one has never even made an international team.

Argentina on top 🇦🇷
1 year ago

Ben, there is a small mistake in the split comparison: It’s a 2:04.70, not 2:04.79 🤗🤗

OldNotDead
1 year ago

Quick search reveals that of the top 8 on the above list that only Liu Zige swam a non-supersuit time fast enough (2:04.40 in 2011) that could make this list. I couldn’t find a Schipper, Mohler, Hosszu time that broke 2:05 outside of 2009. Fly seems to be a stroke that got a huge benefit from the 08-09 suits.

Rafael
Reply to  OldNotDead
1 year ago

Hoshi time was literally after suits…
Zige also Swan 2:04:59 at 2013 worlds

Zhang zige hoshi summer would be the fastest non suited

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Rafael
1 year ago

jiao liuyang is second fastest with her 2012 time

OldNotDead
Reply to  Rafael
1 year ago

For Zige, I only mentioned her best effort. And I never mentioned Hosshi since her time is after the suits were banned. I was looking for a Katinka Hosszu, Jessicah Schipper, or Mary Mohler time and couldn’t find anything under 2:05 that wasn’t from the 08-09 era.

Boknows34
Reply to  OldNotDead
1 year ago

Schipper’s non supersuit best was her 2,05.40 former WR from 2006.

For Hosszu: 2:05.59 (2013)

OldNotDead
Reply to  Boknows34
1 year ago

Thanks – I didn’t dig any deeper once I saw there was nothing under 2:05 for them.

Boknows34
Reply to  OldNotDead
1 year ago

Non supersuit rankings are:

2.03.86 Zhang Yufei
2.04.06 Jiao Liuyang
2.04.40 Liu Zige
2.04.69 N.Hoshi
2.04.70 S.McIntosh
2.04.78 M.Belmonte
2,04.88 M.Groves

I think they’re the only 7 swimmers to go sub 2.05 in textile.

Last edited 1 year ago by Boknows34

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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