Canada's Summer McIntosh destroys world record to jump-start big season of change for superstar swimmer
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The Paris Olympics were the breakout Games of Summer for Toronto teenager Summer McIntosh, a tour de force performance never seen before by a Canadian athlete.
Apparently, the three-time Olympic gold medallist was just getting started last summer, however.
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Canada's Summer McIntosh destroys world record to jump-start big season of change for superstar swimmer Back to video
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A little more than 10 months after McIntosh dominated throughout the meet at La Defense Arena, she showed she was stronger than ever on the opening night of the Canadian Trials in Victoria, destroying the world record in the 400-metre freestyle.
Swimming a devastating final 100 metres on Saturday, McIntosh’s time of 3:54.18 chopped more than a full second off the world mark previously held by Ariarne Titmus of Australia, a mark that had stood for two years.
Of note, Titmus defeated McIntosh for gold in Paris and now that event is clearly a focus for the Canadian, who continues to evolve mentally and physically after her sensational coming-out party in Paris.
“Going into tonight, I knew that my training was really good the last couple of months and that I could do something special,” McIntosh said in a televised pool-side interview. “I could tell by the crowd and the cheering that I was probably close to the world record so I really tried to push for them.”
The performance on Saturday stamps McIntosh as the favourite in the ultra-competitive event for this summer’s World Championships in Singapore, which will include a likely showdown with American great Katie Ledecky.
It’s also the kicking off point of what all signs point to being a busy and aggressive stretch of competition for McIntosh, who intends to compete — and contend — in five individual events in Singapore.
In the time since her triumphant Paris breakout, McIntosh has done anything but stand still as she has elevated her ambitions and support group heading into the peak years of her career. After parting ways with her Sarasota, Fla.-based coach, Brent Arckey, she recently returned to France to train with renowned coach Fred Vergnoux.
But it is after the worlds where the big move will happen. That’s when McIntosh will shift to Texas and be guided by Bob Bowman, the man who coached the greatest swimmer ever, Michael Phelps.
Bowman guided Phelps to a record 23 Olympic gold medals in his sensational career swimming many of the distances that are in McIntosh’s program.
“I know I can fully trust Bob and trust his training,” McIntosh told CBC Sports’ Brittany MacLean last month. “I think the sky is the limit with him and he’s going to make me reach my full capacity and potential and that’s really, really exciting.
“I know I’m going to have an amazing setup there. I’m really excited about this new chapter. It’s kind of like I’m growing up in a way and starting this new chapter.”
First though, there’s the business at hand for what is already shaping up as another summer of Summer.
Her Saturday triumph was the fourth long-course world mark set during her burgeoning career, the second time in the 400 free. At the Victoria trials, which got under way Friday, she intended to compete in seven events with the eye to qualify and earn medals in five of them in Singapore.
Besides the fresh 400 free mark, McIntosh currently holds the world record in the 400 medley, plus short course standards in the 400 free, 200 butterfly and 400 medley.
It was clear that the world record to start the latest meet, a six-day competition that ends Thursday, was important to McIntosh. She splashed the water in celebration after touching the wall and catching the world record mark.
“Just seeing the time, after two years of really pushing my hardest every day and training, not seeing results … it is just all that energy and anger, blood, sweat and tears built up,” McIntosh said, per Swimming Canada. “Having an amazing swim is just really satisfying.”
And given her still developing talent and ability, almost surely a sign of bigger (and faster) things to come.
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