2024 SC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 10-15, 2024
- Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
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- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Pick’em
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
- Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
In her first time swimming the event at a major international meet, Canadian 18-year-old Summer McIntosh took down the world junior record in the women’s 200-meter backstroke. En route to finishing second in the event at the 2024 Short Course World Championships, she surpassed Missy Franklin‘s previous mark of 2:00.03 from 2011. This mark is McIntosh’s ninth world junior record across both long course and short course.
McIntosh now ranks as the seventh-fastest performer of all-time in the women’s 200 back for short course and the seventh swimmer in the history of the event to go under the two-minute barrier.
All-Time Top Performers, Women’s 200-meter Backstroke (SCM):
- Regan Smith, United States — 1:58.04 (2024)
- Kaylee McKeown, Australia — 1:58.94 (2020)
- Katinka Hosszu, Hungary — 1:59.23 (2014)
- Minna Atherton, Australia — 1:59.25 (2019)
- Daryna Zevina, Ukraine — 1:59.35 (2016)
- Emily Seebohm, Australia — 1:59.49 (2019)
- Summer McIntosh, Canada — 1:59.96 (2024)
Although McIntosh has not raced the 200 back at a major international meet before, nor is the event one of her strongest events, she is still a formidable mid-distance backstroker. She holds a best time of 1:49.97 in the 200-yard backstroke from 2022 and she’s been as fast as 2:06.11 in the long course version of the event. Coming into short course worlds, her best short course meters time in the 200 back was a 2:02.85 from October 2022.
Splits Comparison:
| Summer McIntosh, 2024 | Missy Franklin, 2011 | |
| 50m | 28.36 | 28.64 |
| 100m | 30.45 | 30.22 |
| 150m | 30.68 | 30.75 |
| 200m | 30.47 | 30.42 |
| Total | 1:59.96 | 2:00.03 |
Earlier in the meet, McIntosh also raced the 400 free, 200 fly and 400 IM, winning gold and breaking world records in all three events.
I get horrible vibes from Summer. I will never forget how she stuck out her tongue at the photographers at the Olympics during the medal photoshoot. It was so weird!!! Yucky yucky!!!
You’ll probably be the only one to remember as well.
I get horrible vibes from you.So upset because a 17 year old girl stuck out her tongue.So full of jealousy..yucky yucky yucky
you know a swimmer is generational when she races what is like her 7th best event, against one of the best backstokers ever (which also is better than her in turns and underwaters), gets silver, going under 2 minutes, beating some backstrokers specialists and some say it was a bad race for her
Still a litte perplexed about Summer deciding to opt for the 200 backstroke instead of the 200 free in SCM i think 200 back will suit her better in LCM where you don’t have Smith underwater for over half the distance.
I think she just wanted to race 200 back, yeah she could have won 200 free but I think she plans to add the 200 back to her schedule this quad instead of the 200 free.
Her mom mentioned in Paris that Summer is so talented in 3 out of 4 strokes and one of the challenges is to keep her having fun and doing new things. Summer likes change, she needs new things to work on so if the challenge is swimming 200 back in international meets keeps her motivated and achieving new heights who cares? She is talented enough to be a true medal threat in the 200 back. She’s still only 18, we still have at… Read more »
She sounded and looked so disappointed in her post-race interview with CBC lol, alluded to not going out fast enough and confirmed that she will swim this again in future. I don’t think anyone was catching Regan on this night but I could see Summer being at least much closer as soon as next year.
Yes, I also saw the interview. She definitely was NOT happy about her performance.
Terrible attitude she has
Go troll somewhere else.
I like the fact that she was honest in her post race interview with Devin and didn’t just spout cliches about how happy she was to win the silver.
It’s not trolling when the reality is the reality!!!
Just sad at this point!
I don’t know why everyone downvoted you haha. She’s 18 swimming probably her 6th or 7th best event, third best stroke and still broke the WJR and went under 2 minutes. She’s going to be better in LCM, and you know this loss will motivate her to train the back harder this next year. I’m not saying she’s winning gold next year but I also wouldn’t count her out.
Yeah she’s not happy with her race since she also didn’t repost her silver medal like she usually does even though she reposted Mary Sophie Harvey’s silver.
Similar to Phelps and the 209 back.
*200
I’m sure McIntosh is disappointed. The heats result messed her up because Regan was not in an adjacent lane. Otherwise I guarantee McIntosh would have gone out faster.
She never dies at the end. Her only occasional fault is when she doesn’t push hard enough early.
I would live to see her seriously take on the 800 free. Maybe next year when it’s not an Olympic year.
So would I! Would love to see Summer smash the 800 free record.
I don’t think anyone is “smashing” 8:04, but she could give it a real try
Give Summer a bit of time and she could smash it. She raced 800 free once last Feb and beat Ledecky in that race, and cut many seconds off her own best time.
Doubtful.
I think it really depends on whether Summer wants to focus on 800free, but if so, anything is possible.
The 8:04 world record probably gonna stand for a long time.
Think it’s also worth mentioning this is a new Canadian National Record, crushing Kylie Masse’s 2:01.26 by 1.30 seconds.
who else could swim their “7th best event” and win world championship silver?
At this point maybe Gretchen? 100 IM, 50/100 FR, FL, BK
maybe but summer can do it long and short course
Yeah I think she or her coach mentioned she might be swimming the 200 BK in long course meets now… can’t wait to see her in the 2:04s already next year
Gives her options for different meet schedules
Or she can can skip right to 2:03
Gretchen is great but I only consider Olympic events.No 50b,50 fly,100 I’m…….But then again I,m Canadian,so there,s that.
yeah if you consider just olympic program, walsh is nowhere close
Douglass probably too: 50/100 fly, 50/100 free, 100/200 IM, 200 breast. Idk what her 7th best event is so I’ll go with the 100 fly given it’s the only one she hasn’t done in scm
I think it’s her 8th best event. 200FR, 400FR, 800FR, 1500FR, 200FL, 200IM, 400IM, 200BK
makes sense but she just hasnt swum the 1500 in so long
Summer is such an Inspiration, not only for her talent, determination and hard work ethic, but for how graciously she conducts herself. Her silver in 200 back gives her incentive to keep pushing for next time. It was a great time. She has made Canada so proud♡♡♡!
Although I’m not American, I have a lot of respect for Regan Smith. In listening to some of her recent interviews and watching the Olympics, she has shown character, grace and good sportsmanship. Congratulations to Regan on her world record performance today!♡