Summer McIntosh continued to take the swimming world by storm on Sunday, beating nine-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky by more than two seconds to take gold in the 400m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
The 18-year-old finished with a time of 3:56.26, just two seconds shy of the world record she set back in June, but more than enough to beat Li Bingjie, who finished in 3:58.21 and claimed silver.
Ledecky, the so-called “First Lady of Freestyle” who has dominated the sport for more than a decade, took bronze with a time of 3:58.49.
Sunday’s gold medal was the first of five that McIntosh is hoping to win at this year’s championships. The Canadian is also competing in the 400m and 200m individual relays, as well as the 200m butterfly and 800m freestyle.
Should she manage to top the podium in each of those events, she would join Michael Phelps as the only swimmers ever to win five individual gold medals at a single world championships.
“I think the 400 free, at past world championships and Olympics, I haven’t been at my best. And I haven’t been where I wanted to be. So, to finally stand in the center of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet,” McIntosh said afterward, according to the Associated Press.
“I think I’m at my best. I’m in the best shape of my life. So now I just have to act on that and put it into all my races.”
Monday will see McIntosh going for gold in the 200m individual medley, another event in which she holds the current women’s world record.
She will be up against 12-year-old prodigy Yu Zidi, who also advanced to the final in her debut at the championships.
Competing in what is probably her weakest event, the Chinese phenom finished her heat in 2:11.90, before putting up her season-best time of 2:10.22 in the semifinal to join the likes of McIntosh and American Alex Walsh in the final.
Yu is also due to compete in the 400m individual medley and the 200m butterfly events.
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