‘I Always Want More:’ Hunger of Summer McIntosh Pushing Her Toward Legendary Status
Her name sits in the No. 1 slot in three events. She’s No. 2 all-time in a pair disciplines. In a third event, she can be found as history’s No. 5 performer. Yes, the dominance of Summer McIntosh is something to behold, the 18-year-old Canadian already a great in the sport.
Despite her youth, McIntosh has set nine world records – six in the long-course pool and three in short-course competition. But there is more to come from the youngster, who became a world-record setter under coach Brent Arckey, before shifting her training to the guidance of Fred Vergnoux for this 2025 campaign. Soon, she will move to Austin and join the high-powered pro group overseen by Bob Bowman at the University of Texas.
As McIntosh shifts from the first year of the quad to a three-year roadmap to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she’ll continue to push the clock in her world-record events. How low can she go in the medleys? At the moment, she’s the only woman in history to go sub-2:06 (2:05.70) in the 200 IM, and her world record of 4:23.65 in the 400 IM is almost three seconds faster than what anyone else has managed.
In the 400 freestyle, McIntosh recently took the global standard from Australian ace Ariarne Titmus, lowering the mark from 3:55.38 to 3:54.18. Titmus, a two-time Olympic champion in the event, is expected to soon return to competition after taking a post-Olympic break, and the prospect of future duels between the women is enticing – to say the least. Can they nudge one another to never-before-seen times?
Meanwhile, there is unfinished business in her other primary events – the 200 butterfly and 800 freestyle. In the 200 fly, McIntosh went 2:01.99 at the World Championships, just missing the 2009 world record of 2:01.81, set in a super-suit by China’s Liu Zige. Upon seeing how close she came to breaking the record at Worlds, McIntosh shared a one-word reaction. It was pure emotion, exactly what fans should want to see from athletes. How can one not love and appreciate the passion?
As for the 800 freestyle, McIntosh ended up winning bronze in the event at the World Champs, Katie Ledecky and Aussie Lani Pallister finishing in the gold and silver positions. The outcome did not sit well with McIntosh, who was open with her feelings during post-race interviews. She wanted more.
“(I’m) just trying to learn how to swim the race,” McIntosh said at Worlds. “This is only my second time swimming it internationally, the other time being when I was 14. So lots to learn. This is my favorite race, so that definitely will fuel me to continue to do it until I master it, and execute it the way I want it and stand on top of the podium at the international level.”
As much as the aforementioned five events figure to dot McIntosh’s programs going forward, there’s room to ask: What else can she do? Her versatility leads to such a query, and the 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke are where answers are most sought.
The 200 freestyle is the event where McIntosh ranks as the No. 5 performer in history, off a personal best of 1:53.65. That time was registered at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, where McIntosh placed behind the Aussie tandem of Mollie O’Callaghan and Titmus. McIntosh has raced the event on occasion since, but not at a major event and not in peak form. Without question, there is much more in the tank.
Then there’s the 200 backstroke, where McIntosh could be a disruptive force to the current hierarchy. The all-time rankings show McIntosh as the No. 30 performer of all-time, in a mark of 2:06.81. That time is from the U.S. Open at the end of 2023 and McIntosh has never raced the event on the big stage. Put those factors together and you can only surmise what is doable.
The 2026 season will be unlike anything we’ve seen in the sport since 2018. There is no global meet. Instead, results from the European Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships will be compared for a virtual competition, which will serve as a buildup to the 2027 World Champs in Budapest.
McIntosh has indicated that her focus next year will be on Pan Pacs, the Commonwealth Games not part of her agenda. It’s a logical decision, given Pan Pacifics will only necessitate a flight from Texas to California, and not a trip from the Lonestar State to Scotland, site of Commonwealths. Pan Pacs, too, will feature competition from both the United States and Australia.
As a bridge meet between editions of Worlds, perhaps the Pan Pacific Championships will see McIntosh showcase her extended range. A return to the 200 freestyle? A run at the 200 backstroke? If nothing else, the timing works, for come the 2027 World Champs in Budapest, a dress rehearsal for LA28 is the likely approach.
As McIntosh closed out her World Championships in Singapore, she was already looking ahead.
“Overall, (I’m) happy with my meet, but (I) always want more,” she said.
