Summer McIntosh wins first gold medal at worlds in her quest for five
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McIntosh is aiming to win five gold medals in individual events at the worlds in Singapore, and the first one came Sunday in the 400-metre freestyle on the first of eight days in the pool.
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Only legendary American Michael Phelps has ever won five individual medals in the worlds. He also did it at the Olympics.
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McIntosh won but did not break her own world record, winning in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with a late charge to leave American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49) with bronze.
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A year ago in the Olympics, Ledecky also took bronze in the 400. McIntosh was the silver medalist with gold for Australian Ariarne Titmus of Australia.
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🇨🇦🥇WORLD CHAMP SUMMER MCINTOSH
Pure dominance from 16-year-old Canadian as she swims to a win in the women's 400m free in Singapore for her 9th 50m World Champs medal.
Also the third best time of her career and she qualified for the 200m IM final too.
pic.twitter.com/gyDaX824LV
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) July 27, 2025
Titmus is taking a year off and did not swim and has since lost her world record in the event to McIntosh.
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For Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, it was her 27th medal in the world championships in an astonishing career.
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She won her first Olympic gold in 2012 in London, and then started adding world championship medals beginning in Barcelona in 2013.
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About 25 minutes after winning the 400, McIntosh came back and qualified first in the 200 individual medley, clocking 2:07.39. American Alex Walsh was second in 2:08.49. That final is Monday.
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'I've never done a double like that,' McIntosh said. '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 centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet.'
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The Canadian added: 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.'
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The shock of the first day might have been Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi, who was the seventh fastest in qualifying and will swim in the final.
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Asked her reaction, she replied: 'Oh, I'm in,' unaware she had advanced.
'I will continue to work harder,' she added. 'I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential.'
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Asked for her reaction to the competition, she added. 'You can feel it's quite intense. I try not to think so much and just give it my all.'
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The 200 IM might not even be her best event with the Chinese likely quicker in the 400 IM and the 200 butterfly.
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Meanwhile, the United States is swimming with what appears to be a weakened team after officials acknowledged Sunday that some members of the team had come down with 'acute gastroenteritis' at a training camp in Thailand prior to arriving in Singapore.
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Nikki Warner, a spokeswoman for USA Swimming, would not say how many fell ill in Thailand. She cited health confidentiality rules. She said all American swimmers had traveled to Singapore.
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In the other early individual final Sunday, Lukas Martens of Germany won the men's 400 free in 3:42.35, edging Sam Short of Australia who was .02 behind. Bronze went to Kim Woomin of South Korea in 3:42.60.
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