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Summer McIntosh Breaks 5th World Junior Record at Canadian Trials with 1:53.91 200 Free

2023 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

Summer McIntosh set her fifth world junior and Canadian records of the meet at Canadian Trials on Sunday, winning the 200 freestyle in 1:53.91 to shave a couple tenths off her own mark from last month.

The 16-year-old Canadian phenom has now taken down eight world junior records in the past month with three coming at the Pro Swim Series stop in Fort Lauderdale — in the 200 fly, 200 free, and 200 IM — and five coming this week in Toronto. She crushed world records in the 400 free (3:56.08) and 400 IM (4:25.87) while also adding world junior records in the 200 IM (2:06.89) and 200 fly (2:04.70), all in first five days of action.

McIntosh jumped up from 9th to 5th in the all-time 200 free rankings, surpassing Sarah Sjostrom, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Siobhan Haughey. Notably, McIntosh joins an exclusive club of six women who have ever dipped under 1:54 in this event.

All-Time Rankings, Women’s 200-Meter Freestyle

  1. Federica Pellegrini (ITA) – 1:52.98, 2009
  2. Ariarne Titmus (AUS) – 1:53.09, 2021
  3. Allison Schmitt (USA) – 1:53.61, 2012
  4. Katie Ledecky (USA) – 1:53.73, 2016
  5. Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 1:53.91, 2023
  6. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 1:53.92, 2021
  7. Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) – 1:54.01, 2022
  8. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 1:54.08, 2016

Compared to her previous best from last month, McIntosh took this race out faster on the front half. Her first 50 was about a tenth of a second quicker and her second 50 was about four tenths of a second faster. That was enough to make up for a slightly slower back half.

Splits Comparison

2023 Canadian Trials – April 2 2023 PSS – March 3
50 27.02 27.13
100 55.58 (28.56) 56.08 (28.95)
150 1:24.87 (29.29) 1:25.15 (29.07)
200 1:53.91 (29.04) 1:54.13 (28.98)

Before last month, McIntosh’s personal best was a 1:54.79 from leading off Canada’s 800 free relay at last summer’s World Championships.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE FINAL

  1. Summer McIntosh – 1:53.91 * WJR, Canadian record
  2. Mary-Sophie Harvey – 1:58.40
  3. Ella Jansen – 1:58.46

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Chris
1 year ago

The only thing that could stop her from surpassing Phelps is relays, but theoretically Mcintosh could swim more events and win them than Phelps did (not that she would as she would be representing Canada).

Chris
1 year ago

nobody is stopping this girl. Nobody. She has the ability to surpass what even Phelps did (if thats possible to get 9 golds)

Last edited 1 year ago by Chris
Springfield's #1 Athlete
Reply to  Chris
1 year ago

Phelps would’ve won 9 today with the MMR.
Well, actually it wouldn’t be so simple.
USA: 52.54/59.27/56.14/52.27 = 3:40.22
Australia: 53.18/58.56/56.25/52.34 = 3:40.33
This is ideal MMFF order, not sure if it is the fastest addup, but both teams were super close. Phelps would have to swim the heat, or he swims fly and Coughlin replaces Peirsol. That adds up to 3:40.63, so it is worth considering. Replacing Stoeckel with Sullivan and starting with Seebohm is 3:40.79..
A real tossup.

Dee
1 year ago

The fact 2012 Schmitt would still be vying for gold today makes me happy, I loved watching her race.

Boknows34
Reply to  Dee
1 year ago

I was there that night. Up in the nosebleed seats.

Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

Sjostrom has been pushed from 4th to 8th is a really short period – 1:53.xx is now bare minimum for being in the running to win. Love the 200 free!

jeff
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

it’s interesting that in the past 12 years, every single Olympic champion in the 200 free has been 1:53 and every single World champion has not been 1:53, even last year after a historically fast finals at the Olympics (first time ever having two women swim 1:53 in the same race). Presumably this streak will be more than broken this summer though

Troyy
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

Whole podium of 1:53s coming up.

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

there wasn’t even a 1:53 in the 2009 wc final

Boknows34
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
1 year ago

I see what you did there. 😉

N P
1 year ago

Very interesting that the top 4 of all time are the last 4 Olympic champions. If McIntosh wins in Paris and no one else beats their times (that’s a big if) the top 5 will be the last 5 Olympic champions! It doesn’t mean anything significant, but it’s fun and a bit unusual.

Sub13
Reply to  N P
1 year ago

Oh interesting! However as you point out it’s a big if. I see Haughey and MOC going under 1:53.7 before Paris is over.

jpm49
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

TYR PRO SWIM SERIES, April 12-15, Westmont.
But first, where will the 200 be if Summer swims it? IF?

torchbearer
1 year ago

One thing to knock down times in ‘time trials’….will be interesting to see how she goes in racing conditions when tactics come into play- obviously against Titmus and Ledecky there is going to be fire! Titmus was tactically brilliant in Tokyo for example.
In the 400IM she will still be out on her own I suspect!

Last edited 1 year ago by torchbearer
Riser
Reply to  torchbearer
1 year ago

Summer said in an interview recently that she prefers close quarter racing. It makes this race between the three of them so intriguing. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see the three of them go all out from the start.

jeff
Reply to  torchbearer
1 year ago

I feel like it won’t be too big of a deal given how fast McIntosh takes it out, so it’s not like shes a back halfer who could be pushed into going faster than she wants on the front half. Titmus’s strat in Tokyo was to try to keep pace with Katie on the first half and then run her down on the back, but I feel McIntosh is gonna be out too fast for that- in Tokyo they were out in 1:57.44 and 1:58.10 for reference but McIntosh’s WR was a whole second and a half faster than Ledecky’s split then

Awsi Dooger
1 year ago

That’s a tough record. Ledecky and Sjostrom side by side at their peak didn’t come close. That’s when I realized how difficult it wold be to take down that number. It may not have been their best events but normally the situational influence at play would take both of them well beyond their norms. Actually, I guess it did.

Riser
1 year ago

Brent Arckey has been named to the Team Canada Staff for the upcoming World Championships in Japan.

Bill G
Reply to  Riser
1 year ago

“Personal Support Professional” An all-time great title! Kidding aside – great that he’s going.

Nada de Nada
Reply to  Bill G
1 year ago

A.k.a. My personal coach.

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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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