2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
- Full aquatics schedule
- SwimSwam Event Previews
- Entry Lists
- Live Results
- Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet
In her first-ever Olympic final 14-year-old Summer McIntosh posted a 4:02.42 400 freestyle for 4th overall. McIntosh’s swim is a 0.30-second improvement upon the 4:02.72 she threw down during the prelims in Tokyo.
Prior to the national record, she set during her Olympic debut, McIntosh’s PB sat at a 4:05.13 from earlier in 2021 while the Canadian record was a 4:03.43, set by Brittany MacLean at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Split Comparison
| MCINTOSH, 2021 OLYMPIC FINAL | MCINTOSH, 2021 OLYMPIC PRELIM | MACLEAN, 2016 OLYMPICS | MCINTOSH, 2021 TAKE5 HP EVENT |
| 27.87 | 27.29 | 28.50 | 28.02 |
| 58.29 (30.42) | 57.20 (29.91) | 58.49 (29.99) | 58.16 (30.14) |
| 1:28.78 (30.49) | 1:27.71 (30.51) | 1:29.22 (30.73) | 1:29.05 (30.89) |
| 1:59.32 (30.54) | 1:58.66 (30.95) | 1:59.72 (30.50) | 2:00.04 (30.99) |
| 2:29.73 (30.41) | 2:29.80 (31.14) | 2:30.78 (31.06) | 2:30.99 (30.95) |
| 3:00.51 (30.78) | 3:01.14 (31.34) | 3:01.79 (31.01) | 3:02.54 (31.55) |
| 3:31.55 (31.04) | 3:32.47 (31.33) | 3:33.00 (31.21) | 3:34.06 (31.52) |
| 4:02.42 (30.87) | 4:02.72 (30.25) | 4:03.43 (30.43) | 4:05.13 (31.07) |
McIntosh was in 3rd place behind victor Ariarne Titmus and runner up Katie Ledecky for the first 350 meters of the race. At that point, she flipped with a 3:31.55 while Li Bingjie was right behind in a 3:31.61. Bingjie managed to bring it home a little faster with a closing split of 29.47 t0 McIntosh’s 30.87. Bingjie finished with a 4:01.08 for the bronze medal, shaving another half a second off the Asian and Chinese record she set during prelims (4:01.57).
Summer McIntosh has been one of the fastest rising stars worldwide over the past year and is certainly among the biggest beneficiaries of the 1-year Olympic delay. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, Summer McIntosh‘s best time was a 4:19.71 from the January of 2020 and by May 2021 she had gotten it down to a 4:05.13.
At 14 years of age, Summer McIntosh is now the 15th fastest female to ever swim the 400 free. Gold medalist Ariarne Titmus registered the second-fastest time on record with a 3:56.46 while Li Bingjie‘s bronze medal-winning 4:01.08 was 7th. Titmus’ swim was a new Australian, Oceanian, and Commonwealth record, while Bingjie’s was a Chinese and Asian record.
All-time Women’s 400 Freestyle Performers
- Katie Ledecky – 3:56.46
- Ariarne Titmus – 3:56.69
- Federica Pellegrini – 3:59.15
- Joanna Jackson – 4:00.60
- Leah Smith – 4:00.65
- Rebecca Adlington – 4:00.79
- Li Bingjie – 4:01.08
- Camille Muffat – 4:01.13
- Jaz Carlin – 4:01.23
- Ajna Kesely – 4:01.31
- Alison Schmitt – 4:01.77
- Laure Manaudou – 4:02.13
- Boglarka Kapas – 4:02.37
- Melani Costa – 4:02.47
- Summer McIntosh – 4:02.72
McIntosh finished roughly 1.5 seconds ahead of 5th place finisher Tang Muhan of China who was a 4:04.10, giving her country a 3rd and 5th place finish. Germany’s Isabel Gose, the USA’s Paige Madden, and Erika Fairweather of New Zealand rounded out the top 8 with a 4:04.98, 4:06.81, and 4:08.01, respectively.
Tokyo 2020 Women’s 400 Freestyle Final
- GOLD: Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 3:56.69
- SILVER: Katie Ledecky (USA), 3:57.36
- BRONZE: Li Bingjie (CHN), 4:01.08
- Summer McIntosh (CAN), 4:02.42
- Tang Muhan (CHN), 4:04.10
- Isabel Gose (GER), 4:04.98
- Paige Madden (USA), 4:06.81
- Erika Fairweather (NZL), 4:08.01
Erika Fairweather also makes the all-time top 15 now, after her 4:02.28 from the heats yesterday.
Title should probably note that she’s 14. Also you’ve listed her as 15th with a 4:02.72, but that was her time from the prelims, which you’ve just noted she’s since beaten with a 4:02.42, making her 14th all-time.
Incroyable!