Summer McIntosh Shines at World Swimming Championships
At the recent World Swimming Championships, Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh delivered an impressive performance, solidifying her status as one of the most talented female swimmers in history. The event was also notable for the U.S. women’s relay team, which set a new world record in the 4x100m medley, helping the nation secure more gold medals than its rival, Australia.
The highlight of McIntosh’s achievements came when she completed the 400m individual medley in a startling time of 4 minutes and 25.78 seconds. This remarkable feat placed her as the swimmer with the third-fastest time in history for this event, finishing a stunning 7.48 seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Notably, McIntosh now holds the four fastest times ever recorded in the 400m individual medley, including the world record of 4:23.65.
At just 18 years old, she has already made history by becoming the second woman to win four individual gold medals at a single world championship. In addition to her triumph in the 400m individual medley, McIntosh won golds in the 400m freestyle, 200m individual medley, and the 200m butterfly. She also earned a bronze medal in the 800m freestyle.
Katie Ledecky is the only female swimmer to match McIntosh’s achievement of four golds in a single world championship, having accomplished the feat back in 2015. Further, Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjostrom was recognized as the only other female swimmer to collect five individual medals at one world championship.
U.S. Women Dominate the Medal Count
The U.S. team emerged as the overall leader in the medal tally, continuing a streak in which they have topped the rankings for 17 consecutive championships since 1991. This event marked the 12th time in the last 13 championships that the U.S. women finished with more gold medals than Australia—9 for the U.S. against 8 for their rivals.
Out of the 29 total medals the U.S. won during the championships, 20 came from women’s events. Remarkably, the team secured at least one medal in 14 of the 17 individual women’s events. Contrastingly, the U.S. men managed to secure only one gold throughout the competition, their lowest tally at these championships. They also did not win any medals in the men’s relay events for only the second time in history.
A stomach bug affected many American swimmers leading up to and during the meet. Greg Meehan, the national team’s managing director, shared insights on the challenges faced by the athletes, explaining that some team members experienced significant weight loss due to the illness. Despite these difficulties, he praised their determination to compete.
On the last day of the championships, the U.S. women broke their own world record in the 4x100m medley relay, finishing in 3:49.34. The record-breaking team included Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske.
Individual Highlights
In the men’s events, neutral athletes from Russia claimed victory in the men’s 4x100m medley relay, securing the second-fastest time ever recorded in 3:26.93. The U.S. team, led by Jack Alexy, earned a bronze medal, with Alexy posting the second-fastest 100m freestyle relay split in history.
French swimmer Leon Marchand made history by becoming the first man to sweep the 200m and 400m individual medleys at three different world championships. He triumphed in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:04.73—now the fifth-fastest time ever.
In women’s events, Lithuanian swimmer Ruta Meilutyte achieved her fourth consecutive world title in the 50m breaststroke, showcasing her long-standing dominance in the event. American Lilly King, a celebrated swimmer in her own right, finished her career with a fifth-place finish in the same event.
Another standout was Kliment Kolesnikov from Russia, who tied his own record for the second-fastest time ever in the men’s 50m backstroke.
Conclusion
The World Swimming Championships showcased an array of talent, resilience, and record-breaking performances from swimmers around the globe. With athletes like Summer McIntosh leading the charge, the future of competitive swimming looks bright. Fans can look forward to highlights from the championships airing on NBC next Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, where the moments and achievements of these extraordinary athletes will be celebrated.
