Summer McIntosh was going for it.
The Canadian was feeling great and had her eyes set on breaking the women’s 200-metre butterfly world record.
The record didn’t fall but the 18-year-old was still in great form, capturing her third gold medal Thursday at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
McIntosh touched the wall in two minutes 01.99 seconds, just missing the world record set in 2009 set by China’s Liu Zige at 2:01.81 — a mark set during the “supersuit” era. It was still a meet record and the second-fastest time ever.
American Regan Smith took the silver medal in 2:04.99, and Australian Elizabeth Dekkers earned the bronze in 2:06.12.
WATCH | McIntosh cruises to 200m butterfly title:
Summer McIntosh set a world championship record in the women’s 200-metre butterfly in two minutes 01.99 seconds, to claim her third gold medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
When McIntosh looked at the time she covered her face with her hands, seemingly in disbelief in coming so close to adding another world record in a long list of accomplishments. She even mouthed an expletive in frustration.
‘I was so close, that’s what upsets me a little bit,” McIntosh told CBC Sports reporter Devin Heroux after the race.
Watch live coverage of every race at the swimming worlds on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, with finals beginning at 7 a.m. ET each day. The full competition schedule is available here.
From the start, McIntosh was dominating the race and was on world-record pace. There was no question about the gold medal, only if she could eclipse the 16-year-old mark.
In the end, McIntosh knew where she fell short.
“It was so close and I know that last 15 metres I took an extra breath and I should’ve had my head down,” she said. “But, I mean, this is definitely going to fuel me for next season, so it leaves a little bit more fuel in the tank and really get closer and closer to that record.
“If there’s one world record that I wanted to break since the start of my career it’s this one.”
McIntosh meets the moment
However, there was no question McIntosh was ready for the moment.
“During that final, that’s probably the best I’ve ever felt in the final ever,” she said. [I] felt absolutely incredible and so strong. And going to tonight, I knew I had the confidence from [the Canadian] trials that I could reach the world record. That was my goal that me and my coach had in this past month.”
It was the Toronto native’s third world title in this event — also winning in 2022 and 2023. McIntosh captured the Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games. The victory gives her 11 career medals at long-course worlds, moving her past Canadian teammate Kylie Masse, of LaSalle, Ont.
McIntosh also won the 200m individual medley and 400m freestyle earlier in the meet.
But her goals don’t end here.
She’s aiming for five individual titles at the eight-day competition — a feat only U.S. great Michael Phelps has achieved at a single world championship.
“I’m three for three right now and the goal is five for five, so I think everything happens for a reason and this is definitely going to keep me motivated,” McIntosh said.
WATCH | McIntosh aiming for 5 gold medals:
After winning her third gold medal of the World Aquatics Championships, Toronto’s Summer McIntosh told CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux that it was “probably the best I’ve ever felt in a final” as she continues her push to win five world championship gold medals in Singapore.
She’s set to swim in both the 800m freestyle and 400m IM events later this week.
Canada has now won six medals at the world aquatics championships — five in swimming and one in diving.
WATCH | McIntosh family follow Summer’s gold-medal performance:
The family of Summer McIntosh watches with excitement as she sets a championship record and captures her third gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
In other Canadian results, Masse, a five-time Olympic medallist, finished fourth in the women’s 50m backstroke final, missing the podium by just three one-hundredths of a second.
Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney lowered the Canadian record in the 200-men’s backstroke in his heat and again in his semifinal to qualify for Friday’s final with the fifth-fastest time of 1:55.03.
“I think at trials I didn’t really display my best stuff,” Tierney said. “I had an (ankle) injury going into it, so wasn’t working the kick a lot. I got that sorted and this meet I’ve had better prep. You always want to be quicker, so hopefully 1:54 in the final, that would be nice.”
WATCH | Masse misses podium:
After finishing in fourth place on Tuesday’s women’s 100-metre backstroke final, Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., finished fourth in Thursday’s women’s 50m backstroke final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. American Katherine Berkoff won gold, while Calgary’s Ingrid Wilm finished in eighth place.
The race was won by American Katharine Berkoff in 27.08 seconds, with Regan Smith second in 27.25 and China’s Letian Wan third in 27.30.
Fellow Canadian Ingrid Wilm, of Calgary, placed eighth.
Masse was also part of Canada’s 4×100-metre medley relay that won bronze on Wednesday.
Also Thursday, Canada placed sixth in the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay final, with Brooklyn Douthwright, Sienna Angove, Ella Cosgrove and Ella Jansen finishing in 7:52.52.
Australia won gold in 7:39.35, ahead of the United States (7:40.01) and China (7:42.99).
Leon Marchand wins 200m IM
Leon Marchand of France won gold in the 200m IM and it had a Texas flavour to it.
American swimmer Shaine Casas claimed the silver and Hubert Kos of Hungary took the bronze. The top trio all train with American Bob Bowman at the University of Texas in Austin.
Bowman is famous for training Phelps, and will coach Summer McIntosh after these world championships.
Marchand, who shattered the 200 IM world record just 24 hours earlier in the semifinal, almost did it again as he finished in 1:53.68 seconds. That was just off his Wednesday mark of 1:52.69.
Both times blew away the old mark of 1:54.00 set 14 years ago by American Ryan Lochte.
“It was a bit tough today, but it was great,” Marchand said. ‘I know Shaine always goes out super fast so I knew I couldn’t be far off him. It was a battle all the way to the end, so that was cool for me.”
Marchand won four individual titles a year ago in the Paris Olympics, but is only swimming for two individual golds in Singapore.
He already holds the 400 IM record of 4:02.50, from the 2023 worlds. That one may go on Sunday on the eighth and closing day.
“That’s still a whole new challenge,” Marchand added of the 400. “I know I’ve gained a lot of power, but I’m not sure yet it makes a big difference over the 400. We’ll see.”
Reporter Devin Heroux will be on site in Singapore speaking to Canadians following their races, and will join The Ready Room show live on YouTube every day after finals, with Brittany MacLean Campbell hosting from Toronto. The show will include Canadian highlights, athlete interviews and analysis.
