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At just 18 years old, Summer McIntosh is rewriting swimming history with a speed that is nothing short of astonishing. Competing at the Canadian Swimming Trials, she came within a hair's breadth of breaking one of the sport's most unbreakable records. In the 200m butterfly, McIntosh clocked in at a breathtaking 2:02.26, just shy of Liu Zige's world record of 2:01.81 set in 2009 during the controversial super-suit era.
This wasn't just a near miss—it was a near miracle. No swimmer in history had gotten within a second of Zige's record, yet McIntosh nearly toppled it, finishing more than seven seconds ahead of her closest competitor. That kind of domination would make even Michael Phelps nod in approval.
In what can only be described as a career-defining week, McIntosh has already shattered world records in the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley, and posted the third-fastest 800m freestyle ever recorded. If swimming had an Avengers squad, McIntosh would be leading the charge with her goggles and sheer determination.
What makes her 200m butterfly performance even more remarkable is how personally significant it was to her. "I actually rate this race higher than my other ones," she said, explaining that this particular world record had always seemed out of reach. And yet, she didn't just reach for it—she nearly touched it. After 150m, she was even ahead of the record pace by a blink-and-you'll-miss-it 0.01 seconds.
She's not just swimming fast—she's swimming smart, noting areas she can improve like tightening turns and refining her underwater technique. "World records are meant to be broken," she said, already sounding like someone with one eye on destiny and the other on the stopwatch.
With the 2025 World Aquatics Championships on the horizon, McIntosh isn't just qualifying—she's threatening to redefine what's possible in the pool. For now, Liu Zige's record still stands, but it is shaking in its lane. And with Summer McIntosh in the water, it may not be standing much longer.
