Originally published Feb 13th
2025 Southern Zone South Sectional Championships
- February 13-16, 2025
- Plantation Aquatic Complex — Plantation, Florida
- LCM (50 meters)
- Psych Sheets
- Full Results: “Southern Zone South Sectional Championships” on MeetMobile
Summer McIntosh didn’t miss a beat in her first official meet since her world-record-breaking spree at the 2024 Short Course World Championships. During the distance session of the 2025 Southern Zone South Sectional Championships, McIntosh was once again breaking records, taking down her Canadian and Commonwealth marks in the 800 freestyle with an 8:09.86.
McIntosh sent shockwaves through the swimming world at this meet last year as she became the first swimmer to beat Katie Ledecky in an 800 freestyle final since 2010, when McIntosh herself was just 13 years old. She swam a Canadian and Commonwealth record of 8:11.39 to beat Ledecky last year, dropping nearly nine seconds from her previous lifetime best.
Despite becoming the second-fastest performer in the event during an in-season February swim, McIntosh did not race the 800 freestyle at the Olympic Games. The choice paid off for her as she won three golds (200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM) and one silver (400 free), though her swim today will only intensify the clamor for her to swim a rested 800 freestyle at some point in her career. This swim is faster than the 8:11.04 Ledecky swam to win her fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the event last summer.
McIntosh’s upset over Ledecky last February also interrupted Ledecky’s grip on the all-time top performances. Before the race, Ledecky owned the fastest 29 times in the history of the women’s 800 freestyle. McIntosh’s swim cut the list to just the top 16 times, which Ledecky extended back to 18 with her two swims at the Paris Olympics.
Now, McIntosh has cut the list down even more dramatically than she did last year; Ledecky’s down to the top nine times, as McIntosh’s 8:09.86 checks in as the 10th fastest performance in history, according to USA Swimming. It also improves her standing as the second-fastest performer in history. She’s the only swimmer other than Ledecky to get under the 8:10 mark.
All-Time Top Performers, Women’s 800 Freestyle (LCM)
- Katie Ledecky, United States — 8:04.79 (2016)
- Summer McIntosh, Canada — 8:09.86 (2025)
- Ariarne Titmus, Australia — 8:12.29 (2024)
- Paige Madden, United States — 8:13.00 (2024)
- Li Bingjie, China — 8:13.31 (2023)
McIntosh’s swim today is a 1.53-second drop from her previous bests. While it’s her first official meet since December, it’s her first long-course meters meet since the Olympics. Compared to her swim from last February, McIntosh opened the race much faster, out-splitting herself for the first 400 meters. She also closed quicker than she did last year, coming home in 1:01.16 compared to 1:01.70 a year ago.
McIntosh Split Comparison:
| Summer McIntosh, 2025 Southern Zone Sectional Championships | Summer McIntosh, 2024 Southern Zone Sectional Championships |
| 57.76 | 58.72 |
| 1:58.86 (1:01.10) | 1:59.81 (1:01.09) |
| 3:00.16 (1:01.30) | 3:01.65 (1:01.84) |
| 4:02.15 (1:01.99) | 4:03.63 (1:01.98) |
| 5:04.37 (1:02.22) | 5:05.63 (1:02.00) |
| 6:06.07 (1:01.70) | 6:07.45 (1:01.82) |
| 7:08.70 (1:02.63) | 7:09.69 (1:02.24) |
| 8:09.86 (1:01.16) | 8:11.39 (1:01.70) |
| 8:09.86 | 8:11.39 |
Ledecky is entered in this meet as well, though not in the 800 freestyle. She’s slated to swim the 400 and 1500 freestyle.
Just continue to have Fun.
On her instagram post, she went out of her way to call it her “annual 800”. I feel like this is in reaction to a lot of people asking her if it’s going to become a part of her regular programming and she’s going out of her way to tell us it’s not. Her 8:11 last year was also in Feb and she did not swim it again the rest of the year
Summer was just 3 years old in 2010 🙂
TRUE GENERATIONAL TALENT
Is there any video of the race?
Should have let her race with the men!
insider info, she went 1:56 200m free LC from a push at altitude camp in France👀
and 4:34 in the 4IM!
This year’s Joseph Schooling Practice Time Award winner. Give her a round of applause!
They both have Olympic golds. Womp womp
Precisely the point, Yet still the need to post up “insider” practice times. Budoink, budoink. Todd DeSorbo’s stopwatch would be so proud.
Today is the first day that I’m not so sure about the GOAT (Ledecky) going for 5 straight golds in the 800 at the Olympics. But I still hopeful that she can do it! She deserves it. She would do it in the 1500 for sure if it was a race available in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
Summer is so talented 🫡
Well, summer mcintosh swims a lot of events and it,s still highly unlikely that she will ever swim the 800 free at the Olympics as she already has a lot of events she already pursues
Also, the 800 free is not one of her favorite events. She just happens to be really good at swimming.
However, she may give the world record a go at a small meet or one of the world champions if she ever swims it rested.
Or u have no idea and maybe she decides to drop one of the others
I have a feeling that Grimes may be able to push her in the 1500. Peak Ledecky is certainly better than Grimes in the 1500, but Grimes seems like she has yet to peak and Ledecky is only getting older.