McIntosh lowers Canadian record, Ledecky breaks world mark in women's 800m freestyle at World Cup
Canada's Javier Acevedo, Ilya Kharun also set national records in Indianapolis
Summer McIntosh lowered her Canadian record in the women's 800-metre freestyle, while Katie Ledecky broke the world record in the same race on Saturday at the FINA Swimming World Cup meet in Indianapolis.
The American Olympic star touched the wall in seven minutes, 57.42 seconds, finishing one spot ahead of McIntosh (8:07.12). The 16-year-old from Toronto broke her own Canadian record set at the 2021 short-course worlds (8:13.37).
The previous world record of 7:59.34 by Spain's Mireia Belmonte had stood since 2013.
Ledecky, who earned her third straight Olympic gold in the 800 freestyle in Tokyo last year, smashed the short-course world record in the 1,500 freestyle by nearly 10 seconds last Saturday in Toronto (15:08.24).
"I think I was putting a lot of pressure on myself after last week," Ledecky said. "Having the fans here cheering me on meant a lot."
The latest world record was her 17th since 2013, her second in short-course (25-metre pool).
WATCH | Ledecky smashes women's 1,500m freestyle world record in Toronto:
Javier Acevedo and Ilya Kharun each broke a pair of Canadian records on Saturday. Acevedo lowered his records in the men's 100 and 50 backstroke, while Kharun added his name to the record book in the men's 200 butterfly and 50 butterfly.
Acevedo, a two-time Olympian from Toronto, finished fourth in the 100 backstroke (49.71) and sixth in the 50 backstroke (23.20). Kharun, who is set to make his Team Canada debut at next month's short-course world championships, was third in the 200 butterfly (1:51.70) and fourth in the 50 butterfly (22.47).
Toronto's Sydney Pickrem won the women's 400 individual medley in 4:26.66, and followed with silver in the women's 200 IM (2:05.87).
Finlay Knox of of Okotoks, Alta., won silver in the men's 400m medley (4:07.09), and added bronze in the men's 200 event in 1:54.03.
Calgary's Ingrid Wilm won bronze in the women's 100 backstroke in a time of 56.00, finishing one spot ahead of Toronto's Kylie Masse (56.13). Masse out-touched Wilm in the women's 200 backstroke for fourth place (2:02.41), with Wilm finishing in 2:03.03.
McIntosh finished fifth in the women's 200 freestyle with a time of 1:52.63, while Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., was eighth in the women's 100 backstroke (58.88).
Pickrem placed sixth in the women's 100 breaststroke in 1:05.66, with fellow Canadian Sophie Angus finishing eighth (1:06.83). Angus was sixth in the women's 50 breaststroke in 30.94.
Indianapolis is one of three stops on the World Cup circuit organized by FINA, the world governing body for aquatic sports. The previous two were in Berlin and Toronto.
WATCH | McIntosh defeats Ledecky in 400m freestyle at World Cup in Toronto:
With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
