At the opening day of the Swimming World Championships in Budapest, 18-year-old Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh delivered a breathtaking performance, setting a new world record in the women’s 400m freestyle. McIntosh dominated the pool, finishing with a staggering time of 3:50.25, breaking the previous record set by China’s Li Bingjie in 2022.
From the very start, McIntosh set a blistering pace, maintaining a lead that kept her two seconds ahead of the world record mark. Her victory not only marks her first major competition since her three-gold medal performance at the Paris Olympics but also signifies Canada’s historic achievement in this event at the World Championships.
The night was filled with record-breaking moments. American swimmer Kate Douglass shattered the world record in the women’s 200m medley, clocking in at 2:01.63 and surpassing Katinka Hosszu’s long-standing record from 2014. In the women’s 50m butterfly semifinal, Gretchen Walsh became the first woman to swim under 24 seconds, finishing in a lightning-fast 23.94 seconds.
Switzerland’s Noe Ponti made waves in the men’s 50m butterfly semifinal by lowering his own world record to 21.43 seconds. The American relay teams also stole the spotlight, with both the women’s and men’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams setting new world records and clinching gold medals.
The competition continues to heat up, promising more thrilling performances as the Championships progress.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
