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 of Summer McIntosh‘s swims at the Canadian Trials caught them off guard the most:
Question: Which performance from Summer McIntosh surprised you the most?
RESULTS
- 400 free – 59.1%
- 400 IM – 32.0%
- 200 IM – 5.8%
- 200 fly – 1.8%
- 200 free – 1.3%
Despite the rapid improvement curve Summer McIntosh has been on since breaking out 21 months ago at the Tokyo Olympics, no one was prepared for what she had in store at the Canadian Swimming Trials in Toronto.
The 16-year-old kicked off the competition by stunningly breaking the world record in the women’s 400 freestyle, dropping more than three seconds off her personal best in a time of 3:56.08, erasing Australian Ariarne Titmus‘ all-time mark of 3:56.40 set last year.
Titmus had come close to the previous world record, Katie Ledecky‘s 3:56.46 from 2016, a few times, including in her epic duel with Ledecky at the Tokyo Olympics, before finally grabbing it at the 2022 Australian Championships. Now, McIntosh, who broke the 4:00 barrier for the first time just last summer and came into the Canadian Trials with a PB of 3:59.32, has taken hold of it far sooner than anyone could’ve predicted.
McIntosh went on to have a record-breaking swim every time she hit the water in Toronto, setting new World Junior and Canadian marks in the 200 IM (2:06.89), 200 fly (2:04.70) and 200 free (1:53.91), while adding another jaw-dropping world record in the 400 IM (4:25.87).
While many believed McIntosh would claim the 400 IM world record eventually, the fact that it came in the spring (and towards the end of a busy competition schedule) was certainly a surprise. The 400 free world record, however, was an entirely different story, as that mark wasn’t even on the radar given she was over three seconds back of it coming in.
All of her other swims marked noted improvements as well:
McIntosh’s Improvements, 2023 Canadian Swimming Trials
| 200 free | 400 free | 200 fly | 200 IM | 400 IM | |
| Previous PB | 1:54.13 | 3:59.32 | 2:05.05 | 2:08.08 | 4:28.61 |
| New PB | 1:53.91 | 3:56.08 | 2:04.70 | 2:06.89 | 4:25.87 |
| Improvement | 0.19% | 1.36% | 0.28% | 0.93% | 1.03% |
When polled on which of these swims was the most surprising, 59 percent of readers picked the 400 free, which checks out for a number of reasons, including the fact that it was her biggest time drop percentage-wise. The 400 IM was second in both categories, earning 32 percent of votes, while the 200 IM trailed in third.
McIntosh, who is now training with the Sarasota Sharks in Florida, had never broken 2:10 in the 200 IM until the Commonwealth Games last summer, winning gold in a time of 2:08.70. She brought that down to 2:08.08 at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim in early March before becoming just the fourth swimmer in history to crack 2:07 at Trials.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: After what went on at the British Trials, should national federations stop implementing their own qualification standards?
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
What will her new world record be now, a new record not an improvement on the two she already holds.
I’ll bet for the 200 freestyle, but it might be the 200 individual medley or the 200 butterfly.
With her who knows if it won’t be the 800 freestyle.
In any case, thank you to Summer McIntosh for always making us dream as soon as she participates in a competition.
The 200IM seems by far the mostly likely out of the 200s IMO
Agreed
200 fly and 200 FR world records were set by outstanding swimmers in high tech suits era. They are actually the only two left from that time.
The way Summer McIntosh performed at last meet at all her events by emphasising the fast first half of the distance doesn’t suggest her strong performance at the distances longer than 400m. But this young woman is probably still under physical development of youth. So I would be careful with firm assessment that longer distances are not for her. But if she doesn’t focus on long distances now before Paris, (that would be most likely the case) we won’t see any progress in this area in the next Olympic cycle. The time… Read more »