2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
- Budapest, Hungary
- Duna Arena
- LCM (50-meter format)
- Full Aquatics Schedule
- How To Watch
- Psych Sheets
- Meet Central
- Live Results
- Day 8 Finals Live Recap
15-year old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh made history again on Saturday with a 4:32.04 to win the women’s 400 IM at the World Championships in Budapest.
While not her best time, it will officially go down as the World Junior Record, with FINA not recognizing her Canadian Record of 4:29.12 from March (nor Ye Shiwen’s 2012 4:28.43, done before FINA recognized World Junior Records).
Formally, that swim by McIntosh breaks her own record of 4:34.86 from the 2022 Canadian Trials, which FINA has recognized as the World Junior Record. That swim came after her 4:29, which seems to confirm that the 4:29 won’t count.
Regardless of that complex dissonance, McIntosh made history in another way: she became the first Canadian woman ever to win that event at the World Championships in 19 tries. Canada has medaled, though, in three of the last four editions: Emily Overholt won bronze in 2015 and Syndey Pickrem won bronze in 2017.
Even at such a young age, McIntosh has made history in more ways than one at this meet.
- She became Canada’s first swimmer, male or female, to win a medal of any color when she won the 200 fly (in a new World Junior Record)
- Her four medals in the meet ties her for the most medals won by a Canadian swimmer in a single edition of the LCM World Championships
- She becomes the first Canadian swimmer, male or female, to win two individual World Championship gold medals in the same edition of the LCM World Championships.
- She ties Victor Davis as the second-most individual gold medals won by a Canadian swimmer across all LCM World Championships (Kylie Masse’s win in the 50 back was her 3rd individual gold medal all-time).
- Her 400 free silver medal made her the first Canadian woman to ever medal in that event at the LCM World Championships.
- At 15, she became Canada’s youngest-ever World Champion in swimming when she won the 200 fly. Victor Davis was the previous youngest – he was 18 when he won the 200 breaststroke in 1982.
Going to be so interesting watching her develop,
A 15 year old wins gold in WC in 400IM & 200 Fly, swims 3.59.39 in the 400 free & 1.54.79 in 200 free.
JUST WOW!!!
I think Summer has a shot at going sub 4:30 again in the 400 IM at the Commonwealth provided she once again skip the 200 free. If she does forego the 200 free, the 400 IM heat & final would be her first 2 races and that’s the same setup she had when she did 4:29. In the Canadian trials and the WC, her 400 IM was her 4th event and she likely sustained too much wear & tear by that point to go that fast.
I was most impressed with her swim against Ledecky. Unlike virtually everyone else who has been in that scenario she didn’t back off and assume defeat. IMO, the 3:56.40 is not the greatest record and will be easiest for Summer to approach toward Tokyo and a couple of years beyond. In the medley her breaststroke obviously needs work, and her backstroke is head bobbing and uneven. Lots of mini stalls and surges.
Unlike Rowdy I wasn’t surprised that Grimes was running down Summer during freestyle. I expected it. That distance is nothing to a 1500 and open water swimmer. But until she gets stronger it’s going to be a problem for someone who has shifted focus to 200 freestyle and… Read more »
I don’t get why anyone would have to downplay Titmus’ efforts (or assume she’s peaked at 3:56.40 and won’t get that record again sooner than later) to praise Summer. Not that Summer doesn’t have the potential to be there with Titmus and Ledecky soon, but Titmus isn’t done yet either.
i don’t see how praising McIntosh has to mean Titmus is being downplayed. 3:56.40 is an amazing time- and amazing is putting it lightly, but McIntosh is just on an insane trajectory. Ledecky’s personal best at 15 was a 4:05 and even Li Bingjie was “only” 4:03.25 at 15, but McIntosh has already been nearly 4 full seconds faster than Li.
The biological clock is ticking too; Manaudou, Pellegrini, and Ledecky were all 19 or 20 when they set their personal bests and Evans was just 17. I’m not saying that Titmus is incapable of going faster, but all past experience points to her hitting a plateau in the 400 soon if it hasn’t already happened.
Paltrinieri just went PB in 1500 at 28 years old. Titmus PB & WR at 21 years old.
right and I’m not saying this is unheard of- Joanne Jackson for example set the world record at 22 and nearly 23, the age that Titmus will be at 2023 Worlds, although this was supersuited so even if she had “biologically plateaued” by then, the suit would’ve helped her drop some time.
Anyway, my point is that Titmus is no longer an age grouper who is developing quickly and does not have the potential to drop large amounts of time out of nowhere; if she furthers the world record, it will probably not be by very much. If Titmus wins in Paris, she will have been the oldest winner in the women’s 400 free since 1996. Against a normal… Read more »
Yes I agree, McIntosh is in with a silver bullet, her talent is unlimited.
Maybe the best all-around talent since Phelps imo
For the time being I’d say she’s made herself the frontrunner for this year’s Bobbie Rosenfeld Award, and a candidate for the Lou Marsh Trophy as well.
I can’t remember the meet but I think it was the Olympics and the Canadian girls were walking out for the 200 free relay.Summer just walks right out past everybody to the blocks.I remember Penny laughing and turning to the other swimmers laughing.She,s just so laser focused, just a pure competitor and the other swimmers recognize that.
When Penny Oleksiak called Summer (as a compliment) a “stone-cold killer” last year, I knew the world would be paying attention to her soon!
She was like this even when she was just 9-10 year old. Never fooling around behind blocks. Mental talent of this young lady was always impressing me even more than her physical abilities
Regardles if this is the WJ record or not Summer McIntosh set the the new measure of her results back in April and by this “McIntosh” ruler this performance isn’t good. And it isn’t just the time but the way this race was swum. She was 2 sec faster at first half of the race than she did it in her 4:29 race and then 5(!) sec slower at last 200m.
We can say, yeah she is very young yet inexperienced kid. But let’s stop making such “young age” excuses. Katie Grimes is just 7 months older than her but nobody talks about her in such condescending way for long time already.
It was nice when you left for a while after you were so stunned that Titmus broke the world record. Now you’re back to the pathetic tendency of doing nothing except desperately criticizing any female swimmer who you view as a threat to Ledecky’s legacy.
Give her a break! The 400 IM was the last event of a very long meet with many tough and impressive swims beforehand for Summer. She’s a phenomenal talent, hard-working, and poised beyond her years. She won two individual golds and a silver, along with a relay bronze (fastest lead-off by a big margin). Why can’t you just celebrate all she brought to the meet and the swimming world rather than being a Negative Nellie and nitpicking her last race – a race in which she won the gold medal quite comfortably, by the way.
What sort of garbage is this? Should we praise Grimes because she won zero gold medals? 🙄
Grimes swam on June 19, 20 and had 4 days rest before the IM.
McIntosh swam on June 18, 21, 22 and only had 2 days rest before the IM.
Grimes had an advantage in recovery time.
Summer McIntosh is the best swimmer I have ever seen, I’m just sad I’m a fat internet troll.
She seems really hyper-focused and self aware especially for someone so young. She came off as preternaturally poised and intelligent in that interview after the 400 IM. And she’s clearly hungry for more. Obviously we can’t predict what happens down the line. But she has greatness vibes.
Absolutely, she’s going to conquer. There’s no doubt about it. Every meet she’ll grab more medals – and she will eventually break a WR. Which one is first I can’t say, lol.
After that one guy said she was going to be the “best swimmer of the 2020s” it got me thinking – that’s absolutely one possible outcome, she’s that good. But is that more or less likely to happen than her not even qualifying for the LA 2028 Olympics?
A lot can happen in six years! And it’s really hard to be that good for that long. (Like, imagine someone telling you in 2013 that Missy Franklin’s only medal in Rio would be from a relay prelim swim.)
Oh yeah the hyperboles are freely flowing lol, there’s always mad thirst to proclaim someone the “next coming” of whatever. It’s fun as a fan to think about their high ceilings…but healthy & dialed in today never guarantees healthy & dialed in tomorrow.
Right, like the odds both she and Katie Grimes – similar profile swimmers – are both winning handfuls of gold medals for the decade is low. If you’re gonna bet on anyone you’d bet on them, but still not locks.
Prospects don’t always pan out. Compare Mike Trout with Randall Grichuk– picked by the LA Angels with consecutive picks in the MLB draft. One the greatest player of his generation and easily top 10 all time, the other a journeyman.
But it seems obvious that McIntosh is the best swimming prospect since Ledecky.
Oh for sure, which is why I didn’t say the likelihood she wouldn’t make Paris lol. Unless something catastrophic happens, it’d be crazy if she’s not swimming a bigger program there than she just did this week.
Summer is fantastic! But I think 2022 is way too early to be dishing out swimmer of the decade predictions.