Summer McIntosh wins 3rd gold medal with another world-record performance at short course swim worlds
Canadian mixed 4x100m medley relay team wins bronze in Budapest
Summer McIntosh set her third world record and claimed a third gold medal at the world short course swim championships on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
The 18-year-old Canadian won the women's 400-metre individual medley final in four minutes, 15.48 seconds, smashing the previous record by more than three seconds.
The previous mark was 4:18.94, set by Spain's Mireia Belmonte in August of 2017.
"It was super surreal. The crowd was extra energetic tonight," said McIntosh after four other records were set earlier in the day. "There's a lot more people in the stands so feeding off that energy going into the final was a really fun way to do it.
"I knew it was going to be one of the toughest world records to break."
American Katie Grimes finished 4.66 seconds behind McIntosh to claim silver, while bronze-medallist Abbie Wood of Great Britain was 8.66 seconds off the Canadian's time.
WATCH | McIntosh smashes world record in 400m IM final:
Mary-Sophie Harvey, of Trois-Rivières, Que., finished 10.66 seconds behind her Canadian teammate to earn a fourth-place result.
Toronto's McIntosh set new world-record times earlier this week at the Duna Arena, claiming gold in both the women's 200m butterfly (1:59.32) and in the the women's 400m freestyle (3:50.25).
"It's so validating," McIntosh told CBC Sports reporter Devin Heroux.
"Nerves are normal before a race, that just means you care. But I really like to channel those nerves and push them into my race. And now that being my sixth world record is pretty crazy. "
McIntosh turns her focus to the 200 backstroke — a new addition to her international program — as action wraps up Sunday.
WATCH | McIntosh takes 6th world record in stride:
Canada scores relay bronze
Harvey would eventually win a medal on Saturday as she was part of the Canadian mixed 4x100m medley relay team that claimed bronze.
Swimming the anchor leg, Harvey touched the wall in 3:31.97 to earn a third-place finish with Calgary's Ingrid Wilm, Montreal's Ilya Kharun, and Finlay Knox, from Okotoks, Alta.
The Neutral Athletes B team (3:30.47) won gold, while the United States (3:30.55) took silver.
It was Canada's 13th medal of the championship and fifth for Wilm and Kharun.
"It was nice to prove that I am still a backstroker for Canada," a smiling Wilm told Heroux.
Knox, who earned the 200m medley bronze medallist, has been part of three relay medals and set five Canadian records, including the 50 breaststroke Saturday morning, finishing 19th with a time of 26.30.
"Any opportunity I have I'm going to take it and give it everything. Over the past few days I've been able to kind of showcase my broad stroke talent," said Knox. "Not only does it give me confidence, it also gives me something to review back and improve on for the long-course season."
Canada qualified a team for the relay final thanks to the performance of Knox, Sophie Angus, Blake Tierney, and Penny Oleksiak in the heats.
WATCH | Canada's mixed relay team reaches podium:
National records fall in prelims
Saturday's preliminary action saw a pair of Canadian records fall.
Tristan Jankovics broke Brian Johns' Canadian record in the men's 400-metre IM. The record - set in 2003 - had been the longest active Canadian record on the books. Jankovics's new national mark of four minutes, 2.01 seconds was third-fastest in qualifying on Saturday.
Knox also broke the Canadian record in the men's 50m breaststroke with a time of 26.30. However, Knox did not advance to the semifinals.
On the women's side, Angus advanced to the semifinals of the women's 50m breaststroke.
WATCH | Full replay coverage of Saturday's preliminary session from Hungary:
With files from Devin Heroux
