Summer McIntosh breaks own World Junior Record in 200m butterfly

 FORT LAUDERDALE (USA)  –  Summer McIntosh, a 16-year-old Canadian, broke her own World Junior Record to win the 200m butterfly at a Pro Series swim meet on Florida's southeastern Atlantic coast. 

McIntosh, who won the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley at last year's World Aquatics Championships, stopped the clock in 2 minutes, 5.05 seconds. She shaved 15 hundredths off her World Junior Record from those worlds in Budapest. McIntosh is now the 11th-fastest woman in history in the event across all ages.

Her performance is also a new US Open and Canadian senior record for McIntosh in this event.  American Bella Sims finished second in 2:09.09 and Maria Jose Mata Cocco of Mexico placed third in 2:11.00. 

‘’Overall I’m really happy with my race,’’ said McIntosh. “ I just wish it was 2:04; I was so close.  But a PB is a PB and hopefully, I can gain more extra milliseconds next time. There are always things to learn. My split times were different than usual, so obviously I need to fix that in training." 

Added McIntosh: “I try not to finish on records too much, I try to focus on my own times. I try to keep improving and progressing, not just with times but with skills as well because that will help me improve my times. “

“I always had a love for the 200 fly because my Mom swam the 200 fly.  It's such a gruelling event and I think you have to have a very specific mindset going into it. Over the years I have kept the love for it and I will continue to train for it."

McIntosh was the youngest swimmer on the Canadian Olympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.  She finished 4th in the 400m freestyle event and was a member of the Canadian 800m freestyle relay that also finished in 4th place. At the World Aquatics Championships - Budapest 2022, the Canadian speed queen won the 200m butterfly and also the 400m individual medley, with both performances setting new World Junior Records. McIntosh's performances in the Hungarian capital saw her become the first Canadian swimmer to win two gold medals in the same World Aquatics Championships.

There will be little time for resting on her latest laurels for McIntosh as she's set to race USA's all-time freestyle distance ace Katie Ledecky in Friday's 200m freestyle.

But on a night when McIntosh bettered the World Junior Record in the 200m butterfly for the third time on Thursday, the Canadian's thoughts were also on the upcoming World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. 

"I am really excited to go to Fukuoka.  I haven't been back to Japan since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.  I am looking forward to being on the world stage again and racing a bunch of amazing swimmers."

Ledecky didn’t swim any of her primary events Thursday, but she did finish as the runner-up to fellow Team USA Olympian Abbey Weitzeil in the 100m freestyle, a race that Ledecky does not contest at major championships.

Ledecky clocked 54.01 seconds, the fourth-fastest time of her career, to Weitzeil's 53.38. 

Also on Thursday, Nic Fink edged Michael Andrew by one hundredth in a 100m breaststroke duel between last year’s top two Americans. Fink clocked 59.97 seconds. Olympic 400m freestyle gold medalist Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia won the 1500m free over a field that included the Olympic 1500m champ Bobby Finke of the USA. 

Competition at the TYR Pro Swim Series event continues through Saturday. Here are the Full Results. 

Contributing: Gregory Eggert