Canada swimming star Summer McIntosh began her 2025 World Aquatics Championships with two comfortable qualification swims on Sunday, 27 July, meaning she will take on Katie Ledecky for a world title later.
Despite being early on a Sunday morning, a large crowd packed out the main grandstand, waving flags and inflatable sticks in national colours and providing plenty of atmosphere in Singapore’s World Championships Arena.
Cheering descended into a still silence as Paris 2024 Olympic star McIntosh strolled out for her first heat in the women’s 200m individual medley.
The reigning Olympic champion and world record holder blasted out of the blocks to take a half-body-length lead after the first leg, before slowing her pace to conserve energy for her packed racing schedule.
She touched the wall in 2:09:46 – one hundredth of a second behind winner Tara Kinder of Australia – to book her place in this evening’s semi-final.
After acknowledging the applauding fans, McIntosh quickly departed the competition area to maximise her rest before the 400m freestyle heats.
Just 90 minutes later, the 18-year-old clocked 4:03:11, just behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in heat four of the 400 free to secure a showdown in this evening’s final against US legend Ledecky, who won the previous heat with a time of 4:01:04.
Expect fireworks, with McIntosh’s world record of 3:54:18 set at last month’s Canadian Trials in danger of being broken again.