Female World Record of the Year: Summer McIntosh Dazzled in 400 Individual Medley
As recently as early 2023, Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu was still the world-record holder in the 400-meter individual medley. Behind her global mark of 4:26.36, posted en route to the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Hosszu sat two-plus seconds faster than anyone in history.
Now, Summer McIntosh enjoys a similar margin in the event.
Over the past few years, McIntosh has established herself as the sport’s premier female performer, versatility defining the career of the Canadian 18-year-old. Coached by Brent Arckey with the Sarasota Sharks, McIntosh exited the Olympic Games in Paris with three gold medals and a silver medal – all in individual action. She also won three titles and a silver medal at the recent World Short Course Championships in Budapest.
In a year that was filled with highlights, McIntosh may have produced her top performance at the Canadian Olympic Trials, where she clocked an eye-popping time of 4:24.38 in the 400 individual medley. That effort bettered her previous world record of 4:25.87, which knocked Hosszu from the record book in 2023, and has McIntosh nearly two seconds quicker than the Hungarian and nearly four seconds clear of anyone else in history.
McIntosh’s show-stopping swim in Toronto, which was recorded on May 16, has been selected as Swimming World’s Female World Record of the Year. Yes, there were other options, including several short-course records from McIntosh and American Gretchen Walsh. But with McIntosh dominating an event that is a supreme test of versatility and endurance, there wasn’t much debate.
The 2024 campaign marks the second straight year in which McIntosh earned Female World Record of the Year honors, as her mark in the 400 IM in 2023 was also recognized. In her most-recent record, McIntosh split 59.18 for the opening butterfly leg and followed with a 1:07.12 split on backstroke. The back half of the race featured a 1:17.13 breaststroke leg and a freestyle mark of 1:00.95.
While McIntosh was quicker on the butterfly and breaststroke legs compared to her previous record, what she managed on breaststroke made the difference. Via her 1:17.13 split, McIntosh was 1.69 seconds faster on breaststroke than the 2023 season. That she improved by such a margin for that leg is a credit to the focus and work she put in under the watch of Arckey.
A little more than two months later, McIntosh claimed Olympic gold in the event, as her time of 4:27.71 was good for a five-plus second win over American Katie Grimes. Meanwhile, her world record is less than a second off the 4:23.68 that American Rod Strachan recorded for a world mark and Olympic gold at the 1976 Games in Montreal.
For good measure, McIntosh added several world records at the World Short Course Champs. Among them was a record in the 400 IM, with her 4:15.48 taking more than three seconds off Mireia Belmonte’s 2017 standard of 4:18.94.
“It sounds crazy, but I think every time she dives in the pool, we’re expecting something spectacular because that’s just the type of athlete she is,” said Kylie Masse, a multi-time Olympic medalist for Canada.