Katie Ledecky Ousted! Canadian Prodigy Summer McIntosh Wins Gold In 400m Freestyle At World Championships
Canadian swimming prodigy Summer McIntosh delivered a commanding performance to win gold in the women's 400m freestyle at the World Championships in Singapore on Sunday, leaving her competitors far behind—including American legend Katie Ledecky, who finished third.
The 18-year-old touched the wall in 3 minutes 56.26 seconds—nearly two seconds ahead of silver medalist Li Bingjie of China. Ledecky, 28, settled for bronze in a race that highlighted the growing dominance of McIntosh in middle-distance freestyle.
This victory marks McIntosh's first world title in the 400m freestyle—an event in which she currently holds the world record—and it's the opening step in her ambitious pursuit of five individual gold medals at this meet.
The opening night of competition saw McIntosh and Ledecky reignite their high-profile rivalry from the Paris Olympics, where McIntosh took silver in this event and Ledecky finished outside the medals. Their next anticipated showdown is in the 800m freestyle, widely considered the marquee race of the championships.
But in the 400m, McIntosh wasted no time asserting control. She surged ahead early and steadily widened the gap, turning the race into a one-woman show. By the final 100 meters, it was clear the gold was hers.
Record-Breaking Form Continues
McIntosh arrived in Singapore in sensational form. At the Canadian Olympic Trials in June, she shattered the world record in the 400m freestyle with a time of 3:54.18—more than a second faster than the previous mark of 3:55.38 set by Australia's Ariarne Titmus at the 2023 World Championships.
Titmus, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, is absent from this year's meet, having opted to take the season off to focus on preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The McIntosh family's legacy in elite sports runs deep. Summer's mother, Jill McIntosh, competed in swimming for Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, while her older sister, Brooke McIntosh, is a nationally ranked pairs figure skater.
In addition to her 400m freestyle triumph, Summer McIntosh captured Olympic gold in the 200m butterfly, 200m medley, and 400m medley in Paris.
(with AFP inputs)
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First Published:
July 27, 2025, 18:30 IST
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