Summer McIntosh has entered rare air, or water if you will.
With a dominant all-around performance Wednesday night, the three-time Olympic champion became the first swimmer to break a world record in three different individual events at one long-course meet since Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
McIntosh, still only 18 years old, accomplished the feat in the span of five days at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria, British Columbia.
The Toronto native completed the world-record trifecta in one of her favorite events, the 400m individual medley. Racing against her previous world record, she clocked in at 4:23.65. McIntosh bested the 4:24.38 time she posted at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials.
“I think 400 IM is the race I’ve come close to mastering for myself,” McIntosh told CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux afterward. “So going into tonight, I knew it would take an extra little push if I wanted to lower, or, go a best time I’d like to say, since I hold the world record.”
McIntosh added: “I mean, overall, happy with the time, but I know I can go faster. But I’m excited to keep pushing this event and always like having room for more.”
WORLD RECORD🇨🇦SUMMER MCINTOSH
HER THIRD WORLD RECORD IN FIVE DAYS
Swimming sensation Summer McIntosh has just broken her own 400m individual medley record in a time of 4:23.65
That caps off one of the greatest swimming meets in the history of the sport. Remarkable. pic.twitter.com/Fl4WpQsZmy
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) June 12, 2025
McIntosh took back the 400m freestyle world record on Saturday with a 3:54.18, surpassing the 3:55.38 mark Australia’s Ariarne Titmus set in 2023.
Two days later, McIntosh topped the 200 IM world record of 2:06.12, which was previously established by Hungary’s Katinka Hosszú in 2015. McIntosh finished in 2:05.70.
In another poolside interview Wednesday, seconds removed from her incredible 400 IM swim, McIntosh said that this year’s Canadian Swimming Trials is probably the best meet of her career so far.
It’s now widely recognized as one of swimming’s top single-meet showings ever.
Even so, McIntosh is her own harshest critic. She emphasized that she still can improve the breaststroke leg of the race.
“I think world records are made to be broken,” McIntosh said, via CBC Sports. “So by the time I leave this sport, I want to make sure that record is as fast as possible.
“I think that really keeps me going because I know there’s always going to be the next generation of kids growing up, and they’re going to be chasing the record, so I’ve got to give it my best effort to see how long it can stand.”
Right now, though, McIntosh is the “next generation,” and she’s already sharing a milestone with the legendary Phelps.