Summer McIntosh Wins 400m Freestyle Gold at World Championships

Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh dominated the women's 400-meter freestyle at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, winning gold with a time of 3:56.26. She led from the start and finished nearly two seconds ahead of China's Li Bingjie, while American Katie Ledecky, a multiple Olympic and world champion, took bronze. McIntosh, 18, who holds the world record in the event, is pursuing five individual gold medals at this championship, a feat previously achieved only by Michael Phelps. Her victory continues a year-long rivalry with Ledecky, including recent races where both have traded wins, with McIntosh setting the world record earlier this year at the Canadian trials. The two are set to meet again in the highly anticipated 800-meter freestyle later in the competition. McIntosh’s performance at these championships and her previous Olympic success position her as one of the sport’s leading stars.