Ariarne Titmus has received a significant challenge from Summer McIntosh, who broke the Australian champion’s world record in the 400-metre freestyle during the Canadian championship trials. At just 18 years old, McIntosh, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, surpassed Titmus’s previous record by an impressive 1.20 seconds, finishing the race in 3:54.18. This achievement made her the first woman to swim under 30 seconds for each of the eight 50-metre laps in the 400m event.
McIntosh’s record-breaking performance garnered praise from swimming icons such as Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe. Phelps expressed his excitement on social media, while Thorpe conveyed his congratulations. Other swimmers, including Cody Simpson and Taylor McKeown, showed their admiration with enthusiastic reactions online.
Previously, McIntosh held the 400m freestyle world record in 2023 at a time of 3:56.08, but Titmus claimed it shortly after, finishing at 3:55.38 during the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. McIntosh noted that she was aware of her potential to achieve something remarkable before the race, attributing it to her solid training leading up to the competition. She reflected on her performance, expressing surprise at her speed during the swim and acknowledging the crowd’s energy as a motivating factor in the final stretch.
This 400m race marked the beginning of McIntosh’s Canadian trials, as she aims to secure a spot on her national team for the upcoming world championships in Singapore. Besides the 400m freestyle, she is also set to compete in multiple events, including the 800m freestyle, 200m freestyle, and various individual medley and butterfly disciplines.
As Australia prepares for its own world championship trials in Adelaide, the swimming community keeps a close eye on the competition between Titmus and McIntosh, with the stakes higher than ever.