Summer McIntosh puts Ariarne Titmus on notice with stunning world record feat ahead of Paris

Summer McIntosh has put the entire swimming world on notice, smashing her own world record in the 400m individual medley at the Canadian Olympic swim trials. McIntosh swam nearly a second and a half under her previous world record of 4:25:87 - which she set in Toronto last year during the 2023 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials - with a time of 4:24:38.

In front of a hometown crowd in Toronto on Thursday, the 17-year-old sensation registered a massive victory in the 400m individual medley. The win was her third of the Olympic trials after also finishing first in the 400m and 200m freestyle events. And her incredible swim has put Aussie duo Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O'Callaghan on notice.

McIntosh is set to appear in her second Olympics later this year in Paris. At the last Olympics, McIntosh didn't swim in the 400m medley but she will head into Paris as the clear favourite to take out the event as well as several others.

When asked after the race about her goal for Paris, McIntosh said: "To just go out there and have fun, 400 IM is an event where it’s all about strategy and pacing the front half and always trying to work that breaststroke because it is my weakest stroke, so I’m just excited to do it in Paris." McIntosh will compete in three more events over the following three days: the 100m freestyle, the 200m butterfly and the 200m individual medley.

Summer McIntosh out to make history in Paris

Ever since McIntosh stepped out as a 14-year-old at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the swimming world has kept a close eye on her. The Canadian will celebrate her 18th birthday a week after the Games wraps up in Paris and if things go to plan she will have several gold medals to her name.

McIntosh could very realistically become the female equivalent of Michael Phelps, who has 28 Olympic medals to his name, in the years to come. Incredibly McIntosh would have finished sixth on the medal tally at last year’s world swimming championships if she had competed as an individual and is set to dominate the pool in Paris.

McIntosh could compete in as many as seven individual events at Paris: 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and the 400m individual medley. No female swimmer has ever won five individual gold medals at the same Olympics and she will likely enter at least five individual events at Paris.

Summer McIntosh to face several of Australia's best in the pool

Earlier this year, McIntosh became the first person in 13 years to beat swimming great Katie Ledecky in an 800m freestyle final. Fortunately for the American, she won't compete in that event in Paris as it clashes with the 200m individual medley. However, she will rival some of Australia's best in the pool, with the 200m and 400m freestyle events firmly on her radar.

Titmus is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200m freestyle but has been beaten a handful of times by teammate O’Callaghan, who broke a 14-year-old world record at the recent world championships. Both Australians currently have better personal bests than McIntosh but the Canadian's recent form shows she is making improvements and fast. While in the 200m individual medley, McIntosh will go toe-to-toe with Australian Kaylee McKeown and in the 200m butterfly, she will face Aussie Elizabeth Dekkers.