Summer McIntosh breaks women's 200-metre butterfly world record at Canadian trials

Summer McIntosh is the new world record-holder in the women's 200-metre butterfly after touching the wall in 2:01.65 on Sunday night at the Canadian trials in Montreal.

The time broke Chinese swimmer Liu Zige's mark of 2:01.81, set in 2009 during the super-suit era — the longest-standing individual women's record. McIntosh, a 19-year-old from Toronto and triple Olympic gold medallist at the Paris 2024 Games, had been targeting the mark for years, coming within 0.18 seconds of it at last year's world championships in Singapore.

"That was the one world record that I've always dreamt of as a kid," McIntosh said after the race. "To now do it is really incredible." The normally reserved swimmer slammed her fists into the water in celebration as the crowd erupted inside the Olympic pool.

McIntosh now holds four long-course world records after setting three in five days at last year's trials in Victoria — in the 400 freestyle, 400 individual medley, and 200 IM. She followed that showing with four gold medals and one silver at the world championships in Singapore, becoming just the second woman to win quadruple gold at a single worlds.

Her mother, Jill McIntosh — an Olympic swimmer at the 1984 Los Angeles Games — called Sunday's result "extra special."

"That world record was Summer's dream as a 10-year-old," Jill said. "This shows you when you dream bigger than you can possibly imagine, you can get anything done."

Sunday was the first Canadian crowd to see McIntosh race since her move to train in Austin, Texas, under renowned coach Bob Bowman, who guided Michael Phelps to 23 Olympic gold medals. She will compete in the 400 IM on Monday, the 400 free on Tuesday, and the 200 IM on Wednesday ahead of the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, next month.