McIntosh ends Ledecky's 9-year domestic win streak with record-breaking 200m freestyle

Canadian swimming star Summer McIntosh delivered another record-breaking performance on Friday, setting a national record in the women's 200-metre freestyle at the 2023 Pro Swim Series event in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The 16-year-old from Toronto clocked one minute, 54.13 seconds to eclipse Taylor Ruck's previous mark of 1:54.44 from 2018, while also lowering her world junior record of 1:54.79 set at the world championships last June in Budapest, Hungary.

It is also the fastest time ever recorded in the United States.

McIntosh finished ahead of seven-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky, ending the American star's nine-year domestic win streak.

Ledecky touched second in 1:54.96, while Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey was third at 1:55.53.

It marked the first defeat for Ledecky in a domestic freestyle long course final of 200m or longer since a loss to Allison Schmitt in 2014.

''I'm really happy with that swim but it hurts really bad,'' McIntosh said. ''Overall today I just wanted to see how I could manage the 200 free at this point in the season and with Katie in the race I had a big challenge ahead of me.''

Fellow Canadian Ella Jansen, 17, was sixth with a personal-best time of 1:58.30.

Jansen finished second in the women's 400m individual medley later on Friday in 4:43.32, with Ledecky winning in 4:36.04.

Tess Cieplucha of Georgetown, Ont., finished third in 4:44.92, while Bailey Andison of Smiths Falls, Ont., was fourth (4:46.66).

Calgary's Lorne Winnington added a second-place finish in the men's 400m individual medley with a time of 4:19.95, finishing behind American Bobby Finke (4:15.93).

Three-time Olympian Katerine Savard of Pont-Rouge, Que., tied for third in the women's 50m butterfly with Natalie Hinds of the U.S. (26.68). Fellow American Abbey Weitzeil and Emilie Beckmann of Denmark tied for first at 26.27.

''I swam both the 200 free and 50 fly heats and finals (B final for the 200 in which she placed third for 11th overall) to continue a heavy workload this early in the season,'' Savard said. ''I'm really happy with the progress I'm making towards the trials [later this month for this summer's world championships].''

Fellow Canadian Sophie Angus was fifth in the 50m breaststroke in 31.47.

On the men's side, Aiden Norman of Calgary was fourth in the 200m backstroke in a personal best 2:01.26 — just 0.12 seconds off the podium.

Montreal native Ilya Kharun was fifth in the 50m butterfly in 23.73.

McIntosh also made history on Thursday, breaking her own national and world junior record while winning the women's 200m butterfly.

Ledecky, won four gold at the Rio Olympics including the 200m freestyle but dominates in the longer freestyle distances.

She has won gold in the 800m free at the 2012 London, 2016 Rio and 2020 Summer Games.

Ledecky has not yet confirmed her schedule for next year's Paris Olympics where McIntosh will also be a multiple medal threat.

While Ledecky grabbed gold in the 400m, 800m and 1500m frees, plus the 4x200m free relay at last year's world championships McIntosh won the 200m fly and 400m individual medley and finished second to the American in the 400m free.

Competition in Fort Lauderdale ends Saturday.