Summer McIntosh Taking on Five Events, Including ‘Biggest Challenge’ 800 Free, at Worlds
Over five successive days at Canadian Trials, Summer McIntosh redefined the limits of possibility in each of her events, breaking three world records while approaching two more marks considered untouchable. But she has hardly relaxed to revel in that accomplishment, knowing that the greatest test of her swimming career awaits at the upcoming World Championships in Singapore.
McIntosh has already won four long course world titles, with back-to-back wins in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM in 2022 and 2023, and she added Olympic gold in those races along with a come-from-behind title in the 200 IM and a silver in the 400 freestyle. Now, the 18-year-old will attempt five races at a global meet for the first time.
“Overall, I’m just excited to see how I manage doing five events,” McIntosh said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. “I did four in Paris, and I think to add this new challenge this year really kept me motivated, so I’m excited to see how that goes.”
Summer McIntosh — Photo Courtesy: Scott Grant/Swimming Canada
When picking which event to add to her lineup this time, McIntosh considered the 200 free, in which she won World Championships bronze two years ago. The 200 backstroke came into play after McIntosh won silver behind Regan Smith at the Short Course World Championships. But the 800 free became enticing because of a potential matchup with Katie Ledecky, the 28-year-old American star whose world-record-setting performance in May was her first in the event in nine years.
Last February, McIntosh raced Ledecky at a local meet in Florida and handed Ledecky her first head-to-head defeat in the 800 since before the 2012 Olympics. Ledecky went on to capture her record fourth Olympic gold in the event in Paris, but now McIntosh has made further inroads, most notably with her 8:05.07 clocking in June that was the third-fastest performance in history.
And even though a 16-lap race race extracts a heavy toll, the 800 free had the advantage of no semifinal round, just two swims unlike the three-race requirement for each 200-meter event.
“It’s in my opinion the biggest challenge. Katie being so strong and in her top form this season is also really cool to see, so that matchup will be awesome. It also just works really well with my schedule,” McIntosh said. “The 800 is longer, but it’s one less session.”
In the 10 major meets Ledecky has won gold in the 800 free, no one has been able to keep up. Rebecca Adlington was the first rival to fall in the London Olympic final, followed by Lotte Friis one year later when Ledecky first broke the world record in the event. The last two Olympic finals have seen Australian Ariarne Titmus give Ledecky a real scare.
That is not how McIntosh is approaching this impending showdown. On the contrary, she thinks Ledecky’s relentless pace could be an aid, especially compared to racing an event in which she is relatively inexperienced against minimal competition at her selection meet.
“I think it’s always nicer to have someone right beside you, and it gives you that extra little bit of motivation,. In the middle 400, I was kind of in no man’s land. I didn’t really know where I was,” McIntosh said. “Being in a heat with so many amazing swimmers that are going to be fighting for that medal, I think always gives you a special a little bit of adrenaline rush. I think you can kind of see that, for example in my 200 IM at the Olympics, it just gives that extra little bump.”
Considering her event schedule at future international competitions, McIntosh did not commit to definitely swimming the 800 free in the future. She spoke about her “core” events, the four which she raced in Paris, and those appear to be the priority. Indeed, if the Olympic schedule remains the same in 2028, McIntosh might have to choose between the 800 free and 200 IM, with the two events overlapping entirely on the seventh and eighth days of the meet.
But some combination of five individual races is squarely in McIntosh’s line of sight as she begins her long build toward the Los Angeles Games. The current focus is on collecting as many gold medals as possible in Singapore, with her duties on Team Canada’s relays providing additional chances for podium finishes, but for McIntosh and other high-achievers, this global meet is serving as a first Olympic rehearsal.
“It’s all about Olympic cycles when it comes to swimming, but I think World Championships are always good run through. Right now, I’m really just trying to see this new challenge and see if I can do five events individually and how well I can do in them and how I can manage it,” McIntosh said. “And of course, it’s LA is always in the back of my mind, and my goal for there is to do five events. So kind of doing that run through now three years out is definitely something that will give me lots of confidence as we get closer and closer to LA.”
