Summer McIntosh breaks 200m butterfly world record at Canadian trials

Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh has broken the longest-standing individual women’s swimming world record by clocking two minutes 1.65 seconds in the 200m butterfly at her national trials in Montreal.

The 19-year-old surpassed the previous mark of 2:01.81, which was established by China’s Liu Zige during the controversial super-suit era of 2009.

Upon realising her achievement, the triple Paris 2024 Olympic champion slammed her fists into the water in celebration as the home crowd erupted.

The Toronto-born swimmer had been hunting this specific milestone for some time after coming agonisingly close recently.

Closing in on history

During last year’s World Championships, she missed out on the world record by just 0.18 seconds after posting a time of 2:01.99.

Sunday’s historic race offered a first glimpse of the freestyle and medley specialist for many domestic fans since her high-profile relocation.

She recently moved to train in Austin, Texas, under the guidance of Bob Bowman, who famously coached Michael Phelps to 23 Olympic gold medals.

A packed upcoming schedule

The record-breaking performance sets the stage for a demanding week of competition for the young phenom.

She is scheduled to contest the 400m individual medley on Monday, followed by the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley.

These events serve as crucial preparation ahead of the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.