SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers which event Summer McIntosh would add to her World Championship program in Singapore:
Question: What will Summer McIntosh pick as her fifth event for Worlds this year?
RESULTS
- 800 free – 44.7%
- 200 free – 37.0%
- 200 back – 18.3%
After confirming her plans of racing five individual events at the 2025 World Championships, but having yet to land on what the fifth will be, swim fans have been wondering which race Summer McIntosh will add to her program for next month’s competition in Singapore.
McIntosh won Olympic gold last summer in the women’s 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM, and those three events were locked into her World Championship program, as was the 400 free, having won silver in Paris.
That left the 200 free, 800 free and 200 back as her three remaining options.
She raced the 200 free at the 2023 Worlds, winning bronze and breaking the World Junior Record, while she recently won silver and became just the seventh woman ever under 2:00 in the SCM 200 back at Short Course Worlds in December.
Then there’s the 800 free, which McIntosh raced in long course for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics in February 2024, putting up a stunning time of 8:11.39 to rank #2 all-time in the event behind Katie Ledecky.
Earlier this year, McIntosh raced the 800 free again, joining Ledecky in the sub-8:10 club in 8:09.86, leading to anticipation of a potential battle between the two this summer at the World Championships, though McIntosh’s commitment to racing it was unknown.
Now, however, the two look like they are on a collision course to meet in Singapore.
Ledecky shockingly took down her nine-year-old world record in May, clocking 8:04.12 at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim, and then a few days ago at the Canadian Trials, McIntosh threw down the third-fastest swim ever in 8:05.07, putting her within a second of Ledecky—prior to McIntosh’s 8:11 swim, Ledecky was the fastest swimmer ever by eight and a half seconds.
In our latest poll, we asked SwimSwam readers which race they thought McIntosh would select as her fifth at Worlds, with it unclear if she would race all seven (or six) at the Canadian Trials, or just pick her five there.
The 800 free came out on top with 44.7% of votes in the poll, which was likely aided by McIntosh’s 8:05 swim, which came while the poll was still open and came before the 200 free and 200 back on the Trials schedule.
The 18-year-old ended up opting not to contest the 200 free or 200 back in Victoria, which all but locks her in for the 800 free at Worlds. There might’ve been room for her to change her mind leading up to Singapore, but two women went under the ‘A’ cut in both the 200 free (Mary-Sophie Harvey, Ella Jansen) and 200 back (Madison Kryger, Ingrid Wilm) finals at Trials, so there are no open entries in those events.
The 200 free earned 37% of votes in the poll, as it’s an event we’ve seen McIntosh race recently in major international long course competition, and one she’d figure to have a shot at the gold medal given her 1:53.65 best time is now nearly two years old (and world record holder Ariarne Titmus isn’t racing this year and reigning Mollie O’Callaghan is working her way back from injury).
The 200 back only earned 18.3% of votes, as it’s the event McIntosh would likely be racing for the bronze medal, given how far ahead Kaylee McKeown and Regan Smith are from the rest of the world.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: What surprised you the most at U.S. Nationals?
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I think McIntosh would probably be bronze if she did end up deciding to do 200 back at worlds. But in her most recent interview with CBC she said that 200 back would have been the race had it not been a major conflict with others in her program. She also said 200 back is one of her favorite events. Her former coach from Sarasota Brent said that the backstroke might be Summer’s best stroke. Don’t get me wrong, McKeown is the queen of backstroke. But if Summer does indeed focus on back, and start competing in it regularly in my opinion it’s a matter of time before she is neck and neck and ultimately gunning down McKeown.
I think she could win the 200 free but im glad to see her enjoying this race
For sure.. Give this time. When it’s all said and done she may win almost everything at some point.