Summer Mcintosh is still faster.
The 18 -year -old swimmer broke a Canadian record and the Commonwealth in the 800 -meter female freestyle on Thursday night in the South Section Championship in the Southern Zone in Plantation, Fla.
McIntosh touched the wall in eight minutes 9.86 seconds, which is the fastest tenth that has been published in the event. The American Katie Ledecky has the nine best times, including the world record brand of 8: 04.79.
Mcintosh’s time on Thursday would have won the Olympic gold in Paris only seven months ago. She chose to leave the event to focus on a heavy program that included four individual events.
McIntosh became the first Canadian to win three gold medals in a single game, winter or summer.
The 800 m freestyle has been owned by Ledecky for more than a decade, but there were signs last year at this exact meeting that its control was loosening in the event.
In the southern section championship of the southern zone in February 2024, Mcintosh faced face to face with Ledecky. The Canadian had control of that race from beginning to end, throwing 10 seconds of his best previous time and defeating the American in the process.
McIntosh touched the wall in a national record of 8: 11.39, surpassing the Ledecky time of 8: 17.12.
Ledecky had not lost an 800 m final in more than 13 years. The American, who has won gold in this event in the last four Olympic Games, is at this year’s meeting, but chose not to swim at the event.
2024 was a year of Banner for McIntosh
Mcintosh was appointed athlete of the year of Northern Star in Canada by 2024, after having won four Olympic medals, three of them gold.
Look | The moment McIntosh receives the call that he has won the Northern Star award:
Just won a gold and bronze medal in the World Aquatics Short Course championship in Budapest, look how Summer McIntosh receives a phone call, to inform you that it has been named athlete of the year of Canada.
He also broke a series of world records, World Junior, Canadian records and the registers of the Commonwealth throughout the year. She was also named Swimmer of the year World Aquatics.
This is the first competition in which McIntosh is competing from the world championships of short courses in Budapest last December.
The Canadian ended the event with three world record performances along the way to win three gold medals, along with a silver and bronze.
Look | McIntosh reflects on the worlds of short courses as “one of the best meetings of my life”:
Toronto’s summer, McIntosh, captured the 200 -meter silver medal that established a new Canadian record time of 1: 59.96 in Budapest.
Mcintosh and his teammates Canadian team The next important match is the Long Course World Championships in Singapore from July.
