World Championships Predictions (Women’s): Summer McIntosh in Pursuit of Five Gold Medals
Days remain until the start of the swimming competition at the 2025 World Championships, and the established stars on the women’s side are making their final preparations before chasing more thick stacks of medals. At the United States training camp in Phuket, Thailand, the group includes Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, Regan Smith and Kate Douglass. Many top Australians will be absent, but Kaylee McKeown will pursue another backstroke sweep.
But the swimmer entering the meet with the most hype is 18-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh, a three-time winner at the Paris Olympics and now favored for up to five individual gold medals in Singapore after a legendary performance at last month’s Canadian Trials. Here is how we see the women’s meet playing out.
Sunday, July 27
400 Freestyle
Gold: Summer McIntosh, Canada
Silver: Katie Ledecky, United States
Bronze: Lani Pallister, Australia
McIntosh swam a time of 3:54.18 at last month’s Canadian Trials to obliterate the world record, and she should easily earn her first gold medal here. Ledecky swam her second-fastest time ever earlier this year. China’s Li Bingjie and American Claire Weinstein are also threats for bronze.
400 Freestyle Relay
Gold: United States
Silver: Australia
Bronze: China
With three swimmers under 53 seconds entering Worlds, the Americans earn their first gold in this event since 2017.
Monday, July 28
100 Butterfly
Gold: Gretchen Walsh, United States
Silver: Torri Huske, United States
Bronze: Angelina Köhler, Germany
Look for Australia’s Alex Perkins to make a push, but Walsh could win by almost two seconds.
200 Individual Medley
Gold: Summer McIntosh, Canada
Silver: Alex Walsh, United States
Bronze: Yu Yiting, China
McIntosh gets her second gold in as many days, this time winning in dominant fashion after coming from behind for gold in Paris. Walsh returns to the podium following a crushing disqualification in the Olympic final.
Tuesday, July 29
Kaylee McKeown: Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz
1500 Freestyle
Gold: Katie Ledecky, United States
Silver: Lani Pallister, Australia
Bronze: Isabel Gose, Germany
Ledecky is the five-time defending world champion in this event, and no one is expected to challenge her. Pallister, Gose, Li Bingjie, Anastasiya Kirpichnikova and Simona Quadarella are the leading podium contenders.
100 Backstroke
Gold: Kaylee McKeown, Australia
Silver: Regan Smith, United States
Bronze: Katharine Berkoff, United States
We project a repeat of the podium in Paris and at the 2023 World Championships, but Kylie Masse should be close. Could Smith finally get the better of McKeown in a major final.
100 Breaststroke
Gold: Tang Qianting, China
Silver: Angharad Evans, Great Britain
Bronze: Eneli Jefimova, Estonia
Anyone’s race here, with Olympic silver medalist Tang slightly favored. Kate Douglass, Anna Elendt, Anita Bottazzo, Lilly King, Evgeniia Chikunova and Mona McSharry are among the many contenders.
Wednesday, July 30
200 Freestyle
Gold: Mollie O’Callaghan, Australia
Silver: Mary-Sophie Harvey, Canada
Bronze: Claire Weinstein, United States
Many swimmers will try to break into a wide-open podium, with Harvey, Weinstein and Liu Yaxin in best position, but O’Callaghan is expected to dominate this final. Ariarne Titmus and Siobhan Haughey are both absent while Summer McIntosh will not swim this event.
Thursday, July 31
200 Butterfly
Gold: Summer McIntosh, Canada
Silver: Regan Smith, United States
Bronze: Caroline Bricker, United States
McIntosh will take another shot at Liu Zige’s world record of 2:01.81, which has stood since 2009. China’s Yu Zidi, just 12 years old, has a real shot to make the podium here.
50 Backstroke
Gold: Katharine Berkoff, United States
Silver: Kaylee McKeown, Australia
Bronze: Kylie Masse, Canada
Berkoff will try to win her first world title after breaking the American record at U.S. Nationals. Masse and McKeown are both past winners of this title.
800 Freestyle Relay
Gold: Australia
Silver: United States
Bronze: China
Closer than usual without Ariarne Titmus racing for the Aussies, but Mollie O’Callaghan and Lani Pallister help overcome a strong American charge.
Friday, August 1
Torri Huske — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
100 Freestyle
Gold: Torri Huske, United States
Silver: Mollie O’Callaghan, Australia
Bronze: Marrit Steenbergen, Netherlands
These three plus American Gretchen Walsh are the medal favorites, but a hunch says Huske uses a strong opening lap and turn to hold off O’Callaghan’s typical late surge.
200 Breaststroke
Gold: Evgeniia Chikunova, Neutral Athletes B
Silver: Kate Douglass, United States
Bronze: Angharad Evans, Great Britain
Chikunova has been absent from international competition the last three years, during which time she became the world-record holder, and she will try to knock off Douglass, the Olympic champion.
Saturday, August 2
50 Butterfly
Gold: Gretchen Walsh, United States
Silver: Alex Perkins, Australia
Bronze: Kate Douglass, United States
Walsh is the enormous favorite here, and she could approach Sarah Sjostrom’s world record. Japan’s Rikako Ikee could chase her first long course World Championships medal.
200 Backstroke
Gold: Kaylee McKeown, Australia
Silver: Claire Curzan, United States
Bronze: Regan Smith, United States
These three are the expected medalists, and McKeown has not lost a 200 backstroke race since 2019.
800 Freestyle
Gold: Summer McIntosh, Canada
Silver: Katie Ledecky, United States
Bronze: Lani Pallister, Australia
An epic showdown between McIntosh and Ledecky will surely come down to the final length, and it could go either way. Look for the first-ever podium of all sub-8:10 swimmers.
Sunday, August 3
Gretchen Walsh — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
50 Breaststroke
Gold: Benedetta Pilato, Italy
Silver: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania
Bronze: Eneli Jefimova, Estonia
Can Lilly King finish out her career with one more World Championships medal?
50 Freestyle
Gold: Gretchen Walsh, United States
Silver: Meg Harris, Australia
Bronze: Torri Huske, United States
This won’t be as dominant as the butterfly events, but Walsh could secure a third individual gold medal.
400 Individual Medley
Gold: Summer McIntosh, Canada
Silver: Emma Weyant, United States
Bronze: Mio Narita, Japan
McIntosh’s final individual event is her most dominant. Weyant has won two consecutive Olympic medals in this event. With American Katie Grimes struggling this year, swimmers like Ellen Walshe, Mary-Sophie Harvey, 12-year-old Yu Zidi and both Australians could push.
400 Medley Relay
Gold: United States
Silver: Australia
Bronze: China
Once again, no one should be close to the American here. In the unlikely event this race is close at the halfway point, Gretchen Walsh will remedy that on the butterfly leg.
