VICTORIA ā Swimming star Summer McIntosh of Toronto set a world record in the 400-metre freestyle event on Saturday while competing in the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria.
McIntosh posted a time of three minutes, 54.18 seconds at Commonwealth Place to establish the new mark. She trimmed 1.20 seconds off the 2023 record set by Australia's Ariarne Titmus.
She beat the other swimmers in Victoria by more than 13 seconds.
The Toronto teenager celebrated her fourth career long-course world record by slapping the water twice with her right hand then pumping her fist.
It was an unusual show of emotion from the usually stoic 18-year-old.
āYou can see my outburst of emotion because I was really not expecting that time,ā said McIntosh.
The 400 free was her first-ever world record when she swam 3:56.08 at the 2023 Trials, but Titmus lowered the mark to 3:55.38 at world championships later that year. McIntosh finished behind Titmus for silver at last summerās Paris Olympics to go with the gold medals she won in the 200 and 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly.
āJust seeing the time, after two years of really pushing my hardest every day and training, not seeing the results. It is just all that energy and anger, blood, sweat and tears built up. Having an amazing swim is just really satisfying,ā McIntosh said.
She also holds the 400 IM world record, plus the 400 free, 200 butterfly and 400 IM in the short course pool.
āI knew my training has been really strong these past couple of months,ā said McIntosh, who won the Northern Star Award as Canadaās Athlete of the Year for 2024. āI knew I was able to do something special.ā
Ella Jansen of Burlington, Ont., finished second in 4:07.36, under the AQUA A qualifying time of 4:10.23, good enough to be selected to Team Canada for the World Aquatics Championships July 26-Aug. 3 in Singapore.
It was also a big night for Calgary native Cole Pratt, who trains at the High Performance Centre in Vancouver. After battling through years of injuries the 22-year-old returned to the top of the podium, winning the menās 100-metre backstroke in 54.27. That was below the Swimming Canada secondary standard of 54.48, earning him selection to his first national team since 2021.
āThat was a really long time coming,ā said Pratt, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Games but missed qualifying for Paris due to shoulder, neck and back injuries.
āComing back to this was really hard. Iād be lying if I said I didnāt want to quit every day. I stuck with it and now Iām here.ā
Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett showed he had collected no dust after taking a break from the sport. The S14 swimmer with the Red Deer Catlina Swim Club won the menās 100-metre multi-class breaststroke in 1:05.13.
āI took a little bit of a mental health break, so weāre just working on getting our strength back,ā said the native of Parksville, B.C., who won three medals at the Paris Paralympics and was named co-flag-bearer for the closing ceremony.
In other races, Kylie Masse of Lasalle, Ont., an Olympic medallist and world champion, cruised to victory in the womenās 100-metre backstroke in 58.18 seconds. Finishing on her heels was Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., in 58.93.
Masse was surprised with her time, which was faster than the 58.29 she swam at the Paris Olympics where she was fourth in the 100.
āI havenāt really processed it but Iām really happy,ā said Masse, who has a chance to continue her streak of winning at least one medal at every major international championships and Games since 2015.
āThis year has been different, just taking a little bit of a step back but at the same time still putting in the work. I just feel like I have a different perspective on the sport. Iām really grateful to be here.ā
Ruck posted the third-best 100 back time of her career and her fastest in six years.
āI had no expectations,ā said the three-time Olympian. āI touched, looked at the time and was very excited and happy with what I saw.ā
Two-time Olympian Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-RiviĆØres, Que., experienced a first when she won the womenās 200-metre breaststroke in 2:23.40. Paris Olympian Sophie Angus, who trains at the High Performance Centre in Ontario, was second in 2:24.84. Both swimmers were under the AQUA A qualifying time of 2:25.91.
For Harvey, who trains with CAMO in Montreal, it was her first victory at a trials since she started attending the events in 2012.
āItās kind of crazy,ā she said. āI never thought that would be the first one. Iām pretty pleased with how I am feeling in the water right now, considering Iām not fully rested for this week.ā
Meanwhile, Ethan Ekk earned selection to his first-ever senior national team, winning a close menās 400 free in 3:49.57. That was just 0.06 seconds ahead of Jordi Vilchez of the Barrie Trojans, and under the Swimming Canada secondary standard.
āThat was a very hard race, I canāt lie. That last 50 was a battle for all of us,ā said Ekk, 18, a Tallahassee, Fla., native whose parents are from Vancouver.
āI was aware of them the whole race. It wasnāt until that last 50 I just put my head down and didnāt know where anybody was at. I kind of just closed my eyes and tried to move as fast as I could,ā Ekk said. āI heard the announcer say āEthan Ekk,ā and I was like āYes!ā I was so pumped and excited and Iām so happy to represent Canada.ā
Oliver Dawson of the Grande Prairie Piranhas won the menās 200-m breaststroke in 2:11.25. The 17-year-old set a national age group record and earned selection to the world championships team by being under the Swimming Canada secondary standard.
In other Para swimming events, Ali Diehl, an S9 swimmer who trains with the Prince Albert Sharks, won the womenās multiclass 100-m breaststroke in 1:24.44.
Aly Van Wyck-Smart of Toronto, who trains with Whitby Swimming, took the womenās 50-metres S2 event in 1:47.31.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
The Canadian Press
