'Unbelievable': Canadian teen prodigy Summer McIntosh breaks second world record in three days
Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh broke a world record for the second time in three days on Tuesday (AEST), taking down a mark that had stood for just shy of 10 years in a scorching swim at her country's world championship trials.
McIntosh, who's still only 18, blazed through the 200-metre individual medley in two minutes, 5.70 seconds (2:05.70).
In doing so, she shattered the 2:06.12 set by Hungary's Katinka Hosszu in her title-winning swim at Russia's 2015 world championships.
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Two days earlier, McIntosh had smashed the 400m freestyle world record owned by Ariarne Titmus, stopping the clock at 3:54.18 to slice 1.20 seconds off the Australian's mark set in her golden swim at Japan's 2023 world titles.
In the same three-day stretch at Canada's trials, McIntosh clocked 8:05.07 in the 800m freestyle to go within a second of breaking US royalty Katie Ledecky's world record.
CBC Olympic and Paralympic Games reporter Devin Heroux described on social media McIntosh's feats at the trials as "unbelievable".
Titmus, commentating for Nine at Australia's trials, responded on Monday night to McIntosh stealing her world record.
"Oh, I mean, obviously it stings a little bit when you get your world record broken, but I know how tough it is to swim that fast," Titmus said in Adelaide.
"To break my world records I was working [toward] for years and years, and to be 18 years old and to be swimming that incredibly off the back of [the] Olympic Games, she's an absolute phenomenon."
McIntosh now owns the long-course world records in the 400m freestyle, 200m individual medley and 400m IM.
She also has the short-course world records in the 400m freestyle, 200m butterfly and 400m IM.
Watch the 2025 Australian swimming trials live and free on Nine and 9Now, taking place from June 9-14.
Canadian teen prodigy Summer McIntosh. Getty
She was still only 17 when she won gold medals in both the 200m and 400m IM at last year's Paris Olympics, as well as gold in the 200m butterfly and silver in the 400m freestyle, behind Titmus.
McIntosh may just be the most exciting athlete to watch at Singapore's world championships, set to take place between July 28 and August 3.
Freestyle champion Sam Short had towering praise for McIntosh on Monday night at the Australian trials, after winning the 400m freestyle in an emphatic win over Paris Games silver medallist Elijah Winnington.
"Incredible," Short said of McIntosh's 400m freestyle world record.
"I saw her swim in Westmont at the TYR Pro Swim Series [this year], and I said then ... 'She's going to do something dangerous' [at the trials].
"I thought she was going to break the 800m world record and she was only less than a second off it.
"She's incredible. I love watching her swim.
"Hopefully that [McIntosh's 400m world record] lights a fire under Arnie's belly.
"It's contagious. I love watching greatness in any sport. I was literally watching some of the highlights of the Tour de France today just to try to get inspiration for the swim tonight. I just love watching excellence."