Summer season McIntosh Turns into Second Feminine Swimmer To Break 8:10 In The 800 Free With 8:09.86

Summer season McIntosh didn’t miss a beat in her first official meet since her world-record-breaking spree on the 2024 Brief Course World Championships. In the course of the distance session of the 2025 Southern Zone South Sectional Championships, McIntosh was as soon as once more breaking data, taking down her Canadian and Commonwealth marks within the 800 freestyle with an 8:09.86.

McIntosh despatched shockwaves by means of the swimming world at this meet final 12 months as she grew to become the primary swimmer to beat Katie Ledecky in an 800 freestyle closing since 2010, when McIntosh herself was simply 13 years outdated. She swam a Canadian and Commonwealth report of 8:11.39 to beat Ledecky final 12 months, dropping almost 9 seconds from her earlier lifetime greatest.

Regardless of turning into the second-fastest performer within the occasion throughout an in-season February swim, McIntosh didn’t race the 800 freestyle on the Olympic Video games. The selection paid off for her as she gained three golds (200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM) and one silver (400 free), although her swim right this moment will solely intensify the clamor for her to swim a rested 800 freestyle sooner or later in her profession. This swim is quicker than the 8:11.04 Ledecky swam to win her fourth consecutive Olympic gold within the occasion final summer time.

McIntosh’s upset over Ledecky final February additionally interrupted Ledecky’s grip on the all-time high performances. Earlier than the race, Ledecky owned the quickest 29 occasions within the historical past of the ladies’s 800 freestyle. McIntosh’s swim minimize the record to only the highest 16 occasions, which Ledecky prolonged again to 18 along with her two swims on the Paris Olympics.

Now, McIntosh has minimize the record down much more dramatically than she did final 12 months; Ledecky’s right down to the highest 9 occasions, as McIntosh’s 8:09.86 checks in because the tenth quickest efficiency in historical past, in response to USA Swimming. It additionally improves her standing because the second-fastest performer in historical past. She’s the one swimmer aside from Ledecky to get beneath the 8:10 mark.

All-Time Prime Performers, Girls’s 800 Freestyle (LCM)

1. Katie Ledecky, United States — 8:04.79 (2016)
2. Summer season McIntosh, Canada — 8:09.86 (2025)
3. Ariarne Titmus, Australia — 8:12.29 (2024)
4. Paige Madden, United States — 8:13.00 (2024)
5. Li Bingjie, China — 8:13.31 (2023)

McIntosh’s swim right this moment is a 1.53-second drop from her earlier bests. Whereas it’s her first official meet since December, it’s her first long-course meters meet for the reason that Olympics. In comparison with her swim from final February, McIntosh opened the race a lot quicker, out-splitting herself for the primary 400 meters. She additionally closed faster than she did final 12 months, coming residence in 1:01.16 in comparison with 1:01.70 a 12 months in the past.

McIntosh Cut up Comparability: 

Ledecky is entered on this meet as properly, although not within the 800 freestyle. She’s slated to swim the 400 and 1500 freestyle.