Eighteen‑year‑old Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh has delivered yet another breathtaking performance, clocking the second-fastest women’s 200m butterfly in history at the Canadian Swimming Trials on June 10, 2025, with a scintillating time of 2:02.26—a mere 0.45 seconds shy of Liu Zige’s 2009 world record of 2:01.81. Riding an extraordinary wave of form, McIntosh has already set two world records this week: a 3:54.18 in the 400m freestyle (Saturday) and a dominant 2:05.70 in the 200m individual medley (Monday). She also recorded the third-fastest 800m freestyle ever (8:05.07), cementing her status as the standout swimmer of the trials. Fresh off an Olympic campaign where she secured gold in the 200m butterfly (2:03.03 WR), 200 and 400 IM, and silver in the 400 freestyle at Paris 2024, McIntosh is breaking records at a relentless pace. At the trials, she smashed her previous national record of 2:03.03—an improvement of 0.77 seconds—leading splits through 150m and falling just slightly short at the end.
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Reflecting on her swim, McIntosh admitted: “My last stroke was just a little bit wonky… the fact I’m knocking on the door of that world record is encouraging. That’s the one world record I never thought I would even come close to.”. Her coach and peers see this as a crucial milestone that signals her readiness to take on Liu’s long-standing mark. Her near-miss has fans and analysts buzzing. Swimming World Magazine’s John Lohn described it as a “show‑stopping” effort that turned the oldest women’s world record into a suddenly vulnerable target. One Reddit user insightfully commented:
“I’m just strangely happy to see a 2:02. That never happened before. She’ll get the WR at Worlds…”
That positivity echoes widely among observers, many noting that even slight technical adjustments in launch or turns could bridge that 0.45-second gap. Looking ahead, McIntosh’s sights are firmly set on the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore (July 28–August 3), where she will contest multiple events, including her signature 200m fly and IM races. Her coach has hinted at tactical refinements and targeted training to sharpen her “finish” and race endurance in time for that global stage.
Her breathtaking week at Victoria’s Saanich Commonwealth Place—featuring two world records and four Canadian records in just four days—has led Swimming Canada and international analysts to proclaim it “one of the greatest single‑meet performances ever”. As McIntosh cycles through heats, finals, and multiple disciplines, her dominance is clear: she’s not only Canada’s most compelling swimmer but arguably the most exhilarating teenage talent in the global sport today. With SPLITS of 27.28, 58.58, 1:30.19, finishing at 2:02.26, she showcased tactical intelligence alongside raw speed. While the world record remains tantalizingly just out of reach, McIntosh’s response was pure determination: “This is the world record I want the most.” If she capitalizes on this momentum and hones the tiny technical frictions in her stroke, history may be rewritten this summer. Summer McIntosh has not only arrived—she’s ready to shatter boundaries.
