Summer McIntosh, the 18-year-old swimming sensation from Toronto, has made waves by breaking the world record in the women's 400-metre freestyle. During the Canadian swimming trials held in Victoria, B.C., McIntosh clocked an astonishing time of 3:54.18, surpassing the previous record of 3:55.38 set by Australia's Ariarne Titmus.

This remarkable achievement comes on the heels of McIntosh's impressive performance at the 2024 Olympics, where she secured three gold medals and a silver. The Canadian trials, which serve as a qualifier for the upcoming world championships in Singapore, showcased McIntosh's exceptional talent and determination.

In a post-race interview, McIntosh expressed her confidence going into the event. "Going into tonight, I knew my training had been really good these past few months and I could do something special," she said. Her previous world record of 3:56.06 was set in March 2023, only to be eclipsed by Titmus later that year.

On Saturday night, the atmosphere was electric as McIntosh swam. "To be honest, I didn’t really feel a lot of pain during the race," she remarked. "I think I just felt so strong throughout. That’s never been the case in the 400 freestyle for me. That last 100, I’m always really, really hurting."

The support from the crowd played a significant role in her performance. "I could tell by the crowd and the way they were cheering that I was probably close to the world record so I really tried to push that last part for them," she added.

Looking ahead, McIntosh has set ambitious goals for her future, aiming to win five individual gold medals at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. To further her training, she plans to relocate to Texas to work with Bob Bowman, the former coach of swimming legend Michael Phelps.

The Canadian swimming trials continue to be a platform for showcasing the country's top talent, and McIntosh's record-breaking swim is a highlight of the event.