Summer McIntosh became the first Canadian in history to hold the World 200m medley record when she dropped the clock at a blistering 2:05.70 on the third day of racing at Canadian Trials in Victoria.

The 18-year-old claimed Olympic gold at Paris 2024 in 2:06.56. A 0.86sec improvement to the World record 2:05.70, the first sub-2:06 in history, lifts her from No3 to No 1 on the all-time performers list, all suits, and from No2 to No1 ahead of Hosszu in textile.

The standard had stood to Katinka Hosszu, of Hungary almost 10 years, since the 2015 World Championships.

Summer breezed past a summer past on butterfly, stayed ahead of pace on backstroke, found herself 0.11sec off the pace after breaststroke but came off the last wall as a 400m free World record holder determined to be the first since Shane Gould in 1972 to hold the short medley and the eight-length freestyle records. In 29.95, the Canadian nailed her new standard to the mast of history ahead of Hosszu's 30.48 home-comer 10 years ago:

• 27.19; 57.99; 1:35.75; 2:05.70 McIntosh 09/06/2025
• 27.30; 58.94; 1:35.64; 2:06.12 Hosszu 03/08/2015

The record was in her mind's eye, said McIntosh, coached by Brent Arckey at Sarasota Sharks in Florida, via Swimming Canada:

“It’s been one of those records that’s always been in the back of my mind since trials two years ago. I’ve been knocking on the door on this one. I’ve just tried to chip away, chip away at it. To finally do it, it’s kind of like ‘Wow, I’ve finally got that done.’ ”

It was McIntosh’s second world record in three days after her 3:54.18 in the 400m free on the opening day of action in Victoria last Saturday.

A day later, she rattled another global standard, setting Commonwealth and Canadian records in 8:05.07 in the 800m freestyle, just under a second shy of Katie Ledecky's World mark:

Ledecky’s Legend Grows With 8:04.12 World Record From The Empress Of The League Of Longevity

“There is always a story to each world record that I set. I think tonight is the first one I’ve done when another American has done it. Hats off to Gretchen (Walsh) for getting us rolling this morning and starting a world record party.” - Katie Ledecky

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

The 200 fly, the 400IM and the 200 free are on the horizon. Says McIntosh:

“I’m really trying to take it one race at a time. Really kind of cruising the heats and then coming to every final super locked in and focused.”

Meanwhile, there are no trials and championships without pools full of competitors, and closest to McIntosh was Mary-Sophie Harvey, on a personal best of 2:08.78. That was good for a third ticket to Singapore World titles in July after victories in the 100m butterfly and 200m breaststroke.

Going back to Gould, the Australian's Munich 1972 record of five solo medals in the pool at one Games survived a potential attempt to topple it at the Rio 2016 Games when the Hungarian claimed gold in the 200 and 400m medley and 100m backstroke, silver in the 200m backstroke but withdrew from the 200m butterfly, in which she would have had to have raced a career textile best to make the podium.

McIntosh will head to Singapore World titles his July as a contender for gold in the 200 (pending last-day results at trials on Thursday), 400, 800m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 200 and 400m medley (the latter due at trials on Wednesday). She would also be in the mix for the 4x200m free relay, for seven targets in all, each an Olympic event. Los Angeles is three years away in another universe, relative to Singapore but we can say that McIntosh's trajectory (taking in a number of factors) looks robust, to say the least.

Meanwhile, there's another line on Gould below, with a direct link to the 200IM...

The Victoria result in full:

• RESULTS IN FULL

Women's 200m Medley All-Time Top 10 Performers

McIntosh now has four entries in the club of those who have ever clocked 2:07 flat or better:

Women's 200m Medley All-Time Best Performances

Top 19, or swims of 2:07.0 or Faster

Down the years, the women's 200m medley has had more than its fair share of World records requiring asterisks, explainers for doping, in the case of the GDR and China, shiny suits for all swims in 2008 and 2009, separate issues which, put together - and then with different takes and stories in each case - involve the careers of every swimmer on the list below barring Caulkins and McIntosh. Counting back from Caulkins, add in a further nine standards set by GDR women and you get to Gould again. So that's three women in 53 years of 200IM World records whose careers did not bump up against two-issue performance-enhancement asterisks.

Women's 200m Medley World Record Progression, since 1980

In other action - Swimming Canada reports :

Penny Oleksiak was one of four swimmers to make their first selection standard for Team Canada at this summer’s World Aquatics Championships. The seven-time Olympic medallist swam a personal best time of 24.89 seconds to win the 50m freestyle. Her time was under the Swimming Canada secondary standard of 25.11.

“I can see faster,” said the Toronto native who will be competing in her fourth world long course championships.  “It’s what I’ve been working on this year. I’m finally kind of getting there.

“I’m hoping we can make some leaps over the next month.”

Alexanne Lepage of the University of Calgary Swim Club used a strong second leg to win the women’s 100m breaststroke in 1:06.87, tying the AQUA A standard. After sitting third at the she turn she out-touched Paris Olympian Sophie Angus and Shona Branton to earn a spot on her first senior national long-course team.

“I’ve raced them now for the past couple of years and it’s always a tight race,” said the Vernon, B.C., native. “We push each other and it’s fun racing them.

“I was just really happy I was able to match that time and get my hand on the wall,”

After not making the Olympic team last year Lepage was happy with the chance to compete at the world championships.

“I just wasn’t quite able to put together the race I would have liked,” at the Olympic trials, she said. “To be able to earn my spot on a team like this at trials, it means a lot.”

Reigning world champion Finlay Knox took the men’s 200-m individual medley in 1:57.25. It’s been a challenging year for the two-time Olympian from Okotoks, Alta., who has been dealing with back issues. Knox said:

“I always try to tell myself it’s 90 percent mental, 10 per cent physical. But as many meets as you go to and under as many pressure situations you’ve been in, the devil on your shoulder always seems to creep in. That was something I really had to deal with today. I think if a day like today, and how I was feeling about it, happened three or four years ago I definitely wouldn’t have handled it as well.”

Knox was also top seed in the 100 breaststroke after a heat swim of 1:00.68, but scratched to focus on the 200 IM: “For me it was more about just getting on the team, executing a solid race, and we’ve got six weeks to fine tune things.”

Tristan Jankovics of Puslinch, Ont., was second in 1:58.01 to make the AQUA A standard for selection. 

In other action, Josh Liendo of Toronto powered his way to winning the men’s 50-m freestyle in 21.88 seconds. 

“Over the years I’ve gotten more comfortable with this event,” said Liendo, who was fourth in the 50 free at the Paris Olympics, just .02 off the podium. “I’ve learned some new things. I’m just more comfortable in this event and know I can compete with the best in the world.”

Oliver Dawson of the Grande Prairie Piranhas won the men’s 100-m breaststroke in 1:00.73. The 17-year-old earned his first senior long course team selection by winning the 200 on Saturday.

And in Para action:

Sebastian Massabie of the Pacific Sea Wolves twice broke the S5 Canadian record for the second time in a day to win the multi-class 50-m butterfly. The Paralympic champion in 50-m freestyle S4 swam 36.59 in the morning preliminaries then lowered it to 35.84 in the final.

“I’m really happy with that race,” said Massabie. “I was really focusing on making sure that I made that time. It was a really great moment.”

Reid Maxwell, an S8 Para swimmer from the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club, won the 100-m freestyle in a Canadian record time of 59.59 seconds. 

“I’ve been trying to get under that minute mark for longer than I’d like to admit,” said the 17-year-old, who won the 400 freestyle Sunday – his silver medal event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. “I just went with the mindset I go under a minute.”

Danielle Dorris of Moncton, N.B., won the multi-class 50-m butterfly in 34.25 seconds. The S7 world record holder, who trains with the Club de Natation Bleu et Or, has won the event at the last two Paralympics. 

“It’s wasn’t the best I could do,” said Dorris, who holds the world record of 32.99 seconds. “I think I got in my head a little bit, but I’m happy with it overall.”

During the same swim Jordan Tucker of Royal City Aquatics set a Canadian record of 53.00 in the S4 category. Tucker also set a Canadian record in the 200-m freestyle Sunday.

Aurelie Rivard, an S10 swimmer who has won 13 medals at four Paralympic Games, won the multi-class women’s 100-m freestyle in 1:02.06. The 29-year-old from St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., has withdrawn from selection to this year’s World Para Swimming Championships to focus on completing her law degree at Université Laval.