FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Canadian swimming star Summer McIntosh gave a repeat performance in a different event on Friday with a senior national and world junior record in the women’s 200-m freestyle at the Pro Swim Series event.
The 16-year-old sensation clocked 1:54.13 to eclipse the previous national mark of 1:54.44 set by Taylor Ruck in 2018. She also lowered her own world junior record of 1:54.79 set in the first leg of Canada’s bronze medal 4×200-m freestyle relay at last summer’s world championships. It is also the fastest time recorded on U.S. waters.
On Thursday, McIntosh lowered the same records in the 200-m butterfly.
In Friday’s race, McIntosh finished ahead of seven-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky, second in 1:54.96. Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong was third at 1:55.53.
‘’I’m really happy with that swim but it hurts really bad,’’ said McIntosh. ‘’Overall today I just wanted to see how I could manage the 200 free at this point in the season and with Katie in the race I had a big challenge ahead of me.’’
Ella Jansen, 17, of Swimming Canada’s High Performance Centre – Ontario, was sixth in 1:58.30, a personal best by more than a half -second.
Jansen returned later on to take second in the 400-m individual medley in 4:43.32 with Ledecky topping the field in 4:36.04. Tess Cieplucha of Georgetown, Ont., took third in 4:44.92 and Bailey Andison of Smiths Falls, Ont., fourth in 4:46.66.
Lorne Winnington of Calgary added a second-place finish in the men’s 400-m IM in 4:19.95. Bobby Finke of U.S. won the gold in 4:15.93.
Three-time Olympian Katerine Savard of Pont-Rouge, Que., tied for third in the women’s 50-m butterfly with Natalie Hinds of the U.S. at 26.68. Abbey Weitzeil of the U.S. and Emilie Beckmann of Denmark tied for first at 26.27.
‘’I swam both the 200 free and 50 fly heats and finals (B final for the 200 in which she placed third for 11th overall) to continue a heavy workload this early in the season,’’ said Savard. ‘’I’m really happy with the progress I’m making towards the trials (later this month for this summer’s world championships).’’
Sophie Angus of HPC – Ontario was fifth in the 50-m breaststroke in 31.47. On the men’s side, Aiden Norman of Calgary was fourth in the 200-m backstroke in a personal best 2:01.26 just 0.12 off the podium. Montreal native Ilya Kharun was fifth in the 50-m butterfly in 23.73.
Competition ends Saturday.