Last week at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials, Summer McIntosh delivered an unforgettable performance. In just five events, she shattered three world records — the 400 free, 200 IM, and 400 IM — and came incredibly close to breaking two more in the 800 free and 200 butterfly.
(Remarkably, she skipped the 200 backstroke and 200 free — events in which she was a strong world-record contender based on her split times in the IM races.)
She already held the world record in the 400 IM, reclaimed the 400 free mark, and set a new world record in the 200 IM.
This wasn’t the first time she toppled three global records at a single meet. At the 2024 World Short Course Championships in December in Budapest, McIntosh also rewrote world bests in the 400 free, 200 butterfly, and 400 IM.
Thanks to that string of achievements, she now holds an astonishing six individual world records simultaneously — a feat exceedingly rare in swimming history.
Only two other female swimmers have ever reached that level:
Katinka Hosszu first reached six simultaneous world records on December 2, 2015, by setting a short-course 400 IM record. She already held the long-course 200 IM, plus the short-course 100 and 200 backstroke and 100 and 200 IM.
She later extended to seven individual world records when she broke the long-course 400 IM record at the Rio 2016 Olympics (August 6, 2016). She maintained seven records until August 12, 2017, when Mireia Belmonte claimed her 400 IM mark in the short course pool. Hosszu retained six simultaneous records until October 26, 2019, when Minna Atherton broke her SC 100 backstroke record. In total, she held six at once for 1,424 days and seven for 371 days.
Sarah Sjostrom went even further by holding eight individual world records simultaneously. On August 3, 2017, she broke the short-course 100 freestyle record. She was already the world‑record holder in long‑course 50 and 100 freestyle, 50 and 100 butterfly, as well as short‑course 50 and 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Sjostrom held all eight records simultaneously for three days until Cate Campbell broke her 100 free on August 6. She retained seven records for 84 days, and six records for over five years (1,587 days) between 2017 and 2021.
McIntosh’s current streak places her firmly in elite company— and it’s easy to imagine her contending for even more records, in both short course and long course. Events like the 200 and 800 free and 200 butterfly (long course), plus the 200 and 800 free and 200 IM (short course), all seem well within her reach in the near future. Will she match, and even surpass, the achievements of Hosszu and Sjostrom in terms of holding several individual world records simultaneously?
Missing a bunch of older swimmers who held “world bests” in scm and lcm world records. FINA (now WA) did not recognize scm world records until 1991.
Wasn’t Shane Gould the world record holder in the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 freestyles and 200 IM at one point?
Staggering, to say the least. She’s a superstar that doesn’t look like she’s really peaked yet…
Summer, the GOAT
I’m glad elite swimmers are starting to take short course more seriously, because that makes this feat even more impressive.
Theoretically Walsh could match McIntosh:
Short course- 50 free, 50 fly, 100 fly, 100 IM
Long Course- 100 fly, could get 50 fly this summer but I doubt it, could get 50 free but that’s way out there
If only she wasn’t so long on her finish at SCWs in the 100 free
If I had to wager on Walsh’s next WR, it would be an event you haven’t even listed-she seems like she has a 24 in the 50 back SCM in her.
Yes – it’s interesting that Gretchen Walsh owns the American yards record in the 100 yard back but hasn’t touched the 50m or 100m short course backstroke races yet. The 50m short course would be an absolute for her and I think she could get the 100 as well. Gretchen is a full second faster than Regan Smith in the 100y backstroke.
Also she swam a 56 mid 100 yard breastroke – it would be interesting to see what she could do in 50m short course breastroke.
But Summer is still the most dominant all around swimmer – she has some amazing 200 breaststroke times. And pulling it all together in individual medley is really the best indicator.… Read more »
Regan has gotten so much better over the past couple years (esp in short course) that I don’t think comparing their SCY personal bests tells you much. Seems Gretchen might have regressed a bit in backstroke too after she really broke out in butterfly
I would argue that Gretchen didn’t regress in backstroke, she just stopped improved explosively like she had been. In 2024 she still dropped 0.1 in the 100 back at ACCs, going 48.1. And then this year at ACCs she slipped on the start in both prelims and finals of the 100 back.
I do think the 100 SCM back would be a great race between Gretchen and Regan, with Gretchen just getting the slight edge IMO. 50 back seems like no contest to me.
I think McIntosh’s ceiling is higher though.
Walsh currently has 5 – SC 50,100 fly, 50 free, 100 IM, LC 100 fly.
Realistically she could add the SC 100 free, LC 50, 100 free, 50 fly. Maybe SC 50 or 100 back if we’re generous. In any case her ceiling looks like 9-11.
McIntosh currently has SC 200 fly, 400 free, 400 IM, LC 400 free, 200, 400 IM.… Read more »
Realistically she can still break LC 800 free, 200 free (maybe a year or two away). SC 200 free looks quite soft for her, and 200 IM is within reason. If we’re generous (like 50 or 100 back for Walsh), we can consider SC 800 free or 200 back.
I believe McIntosh has a better chance of breaking the 200 fly LC than the 200 free LC. She has stated many times that it is her favourite event and to see her put a real scare into that WR suggests that she will break it sooner rather than later.
Oh I completely forgot about the 200 fly. You’re definitely right
Don’t be generous. The one WR G would 100% own tomorrow in a practice suit untested would be that 50 SC back
And 200 fly LC. Realistically 6 in LCM for Summer. And 12 in total (13 if you add 200 back to 200IM, 200/800 free in SC).
Hope she swims the 2IM and 8free if she does world cup, she could 100% break those records
She broke the 2IM, I think you mean 2fly which she is swimming
She already got the 2fly last year
This would be short course, world cup is only LC the year before an Olympics
Arrow mentioned world cup. Is that LCM or SCM this year?
The 2IM and 800 free are still targets for her in SCM.
Will she match Hosszu and Sjostrom?….probably.