Canadian swimmer McIntosh sets women's world record in 400-metre freestyle

TORONTO — Sixteen-year-old Summer McIntosh of Toronto has set a world record in the women's 400-metre freestyle event at the Canadian swimming trials.

McIntosh finished the 400-metre event in three minutes, 56.08 seconds, breaking the record of 3:56.40 that was set last year by Australia's Ariarne Titmus.

McIntosh previously held the Canadian record in the event at 3:59.32.

It was the first long-course world record by a Canadian since Kylie Masse in the 100 backstroke at the 2017 world championships in Budapest, and the first by a Canadian at trials since Amanda Reason’s 50 breaststroke mark (30.23) at the 2009 event in Montreal. With the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre crowd on its feet from start to finish, McIntosh shaved off more than three seconds from her previous national mark of 3:59.32 set at last summer’s Commonwealth Games.

“Honestly, going into tonight, I didn’t think the world record was a possibility but you never know,” said McIntosh, who broke onto the international scene at Tokyo 2020 when she finished fourth in the 400 free in her Olympic debut as a 14-year-old. “I’m so grateful for my coach and everyone that’s helped me along the way to get to where I am today.

“Whenever I get the chance to compete at one of my home pools, where I trained for two years, and to compete in Canada there’s always that extra little bit left in my races to finish and make them proud,” added McIntosh, who began breaking into tears as she prepared to talk about her family.

" … Over the past few years I've put my life into this. To be the best I can be. To achieve something like this, it was very unexpected. It was never in my dreams to do this tonight or even a few years ago. This just blows my mind.”

The Etobicoke Swim Club product recently relocated to Florida to train with the Sarasota Sharks under Brent Arckey.

The Canadian swimming trials, which opened Tuesday, are being held to select athletes for the world championships and Pan American Games later this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2023.