McIntosh V. Ledecky: Thrilling 800m Freestyle Duel At World Championships
Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky will compete in the 800m freestyle final at the swimming world championships in Singapore. Ledecky faces a strong challenge from McIntosh.
Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky are gearing up for an epic showdown at the swimming world championships in Singapore, as both stars smoothly advanced to the 800m freestyle final on Friday.
American legend Ledecky, 28, is the unmatched champion in this event, having clinched the title at the last four Olympics and setting a new world record this May.
However, McIntosh, a decade younger than Ledecky, is eager to dethrone her as she aims to join Michael Phelps as the only swimmer to win five individual titles at a single world championship.
The 18-year-old Canadian has already secured three gold medals from three events in Singapore, and she recorded the third-fastest 800m freestyle time ever in June.
The other nine times in the top 10 belong to Ledecky, but McIntosh's current form suggests a shift in dominance might be imminent.
Ledecky set the pace in Friday morning's heats, qualifying for Saturday's final with the fastest time of 8min 14.62sec, while McIntosh finished third in 8:19.88.
'I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to this morning," McIntosh said after her heat. 'I've been recovering really well, probably the best I ever have in a big meet like this. We're on day six so to feel like this is really promising."
Ledecky first made her international mark in the 800m freestyle, winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics at just 15 years old. She has dominated the event for over a decade and demonstrated her prowess again in June by breaking her own world record, which had stood since 2016.
McIntosh also arrived in Singapore in phenomenal form, having shattered three world records within days at the Canadian trials in June.
In their first head-to-head in Singapore, McIntosh emerged victorious, claiming gold in the 400m freestyle.
The Canadian, relatively new to the 800m freestyle, navigated the heats with ease. 'My goal was just to win my heat to pretty much secure that I'll get a lane for tomorrow night's final and do that with the least amount of energy possible," she said. 'I'm just trying to get through it because I've never really done 800 heats before so I don't know what to expect. I'm just glad it's over and done with now."
Australia's Lani Pallister and Italy's Simona Quadarella also aim for podium finishes after Saturday's race, but the spotlight will be on Ledecky and McIntosh in their quest for gold.
'Having all those girls around me will definitely push me to a really good time and I'm really excited to race Katie tomorrow night," McIntosh said.
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