The heat of long-course racing awaits us in in Singapore but Summer McIntosh has made the past five days of victories in Victoria her own Flaming June, the latest in a scorching sequence of pioneering pace-setters a 4:23.65 in the 400m medley.

That's 0.73sec inside her own global standard from Olympic trials in Toronto in May last year en route to gold at the Paris 2024 Games - and 0.03 inside the time at which American Rod Strachan set the men's World record for gold at the Montreal 1976 Games.

All eyes on and plaudits for McIntosh's gain on backstroke: a 1:06.13 split took her 1.19sec and 0.79sec inside the splits she clocked respectively for her previous two World marks in the 400IM. Those plaudits extend to Brent Arckey, head coach, Vern Gambetta and the swimming orchestra at and around the Sarasota Sharks, including family: the sound behind the masterpieces the swimmer is bringing to the stage with every passing meet.

The race Video - CBC:

Watch the videos off all her other swims below ... and take time to listen to the post-400-free World record from Day 1 to hear McIntosh's appreciation of swimming history and the great swims of the past that unfolded in the same pool in Victoria.

In Paris last year it was Olympic gold in the 200 'fly, 200 ands 400 medley and silver in the 400m free as most decorated woman in the pool.

Among McIntosh's first words? "I know I can go faster. " Few would doubt it. 

At 4:23, there's a stretch to go, of course, but take the 4:17.53 in which Canadian medley legend Alex Baumann set his first 400IM World record at Olympic trials in Etobicoke en route to gold at the Los Angeles Games of 1984 and overlay McIntosh's latest time-warpery and she'd have been at the edge of the red markers.

The stunning speed in perspective:

The splits compared: 

• 59.18 (31.43) 2:05.31 (1:06.13) 3:23.33 (1:18.02) 4:23.65 (1:00.32) Summer McIntosh, WR Victoria 11/06/2025
• 59.18 (31.63) 2:06.30 (1:07.32) 3:23.43 (1:17.13) 4:24.38 (1:00.95) Summer McIntosh WR Toronto 2024
• 59.47 (31.65) 2:06.39 (1:06.92) 3:25.31 (1:18.92) 4:25.87 (1:00.56) Summer McIntosh WR Toronto 2023
• 1:00.91; 2:08.39 (1:07.48) 3:24.50 (1:16.11) 4:26.36 (1:01.86) Katinka Hosszu WR Rio 2016 Gold
• 1:02.19; 2:11.73 (1:09.54) 3:29.75 (1:18.02 ) 4:28.43 (58.68) Ye Shiwen WR London 2012 Gold

Here’s another perspective through the timewarp:

Summer McIntosh’s splits were:

• Faster than Mary T. Meagher’s first World 100 ‘fly record in 1980
• Faster than the World record set by American Kaye Hall for Olympic 100m back gold in 1968  
• Not quite as swift as her last WR split, which was faster than the World record set by AmericanClaudia Kolb in the 100m breaststroke in 1964
• Faster than the first five of Dawn Fraser’s 11 100m freestyle world records 

As has been the case ever since it happened, Ye Shiwen's 58.68 conclusion to her Olympic gold swim at London 2012 remains inscrutable, an off-the-chart anomaly at the pace of Ryan Lochte, his then World textile best and four others in the men's final that year.

Not even McIntosh, with her 3:54.18 World record in the 400m free at the start of her bull run this week, could come close to the unexplained speed of the 16-year-old from China 13 years ago in a unique moment in history - unmatched since - when a woman closed an Olympic swimming final faster than some of the men who made the ultimate podium in the equivalent event.

So, Victoria, 2025. Here's the result, with Mary Sophie-Harvey making her latest gain on the clock, 4:35.56, to claim the second ticket to Singapore World Aquatics Championships in July, Olympic trials silver medallist of last year, Ella Jansen, locked out of that particular adventure in 4:39.30:

On the run on records, McIntosh, speaking through Swimming Canada, said:

“During the meet I don’t really like to think about it. I’ll celebrate and then kind of process it and focus on the next race. I know I can go faster. “



Part of the process, this from Sarah Sjöström underpinning the essential:

“The most important thing is to enjoy the process rather than just focusing on the moment you reach your goal. The process is where the real work happens, where you grow, learn, and push your limits. If you don’t find joy in that, then even achieving your goal might not feel as fulfilling as you expected.”

I don't much mention sponsors and the like these days, since a world in which FINA decided to 'discredit' the work of 'critics' by threatening kit makers with loss of contracts if they continued to support the kind of work we did at SwimVortex and still do here at SOS, is a world where true independence sets one apart, particularly in the niche.

That said, worth raising a glass down at the Bull and Bell for a sensational five days of pioneering from McIntosh with Red Bull on her cap and Bell posted on the board as event backer.