Summer McIntosh qualifies to arrange Katie Ledecky showdown

Canada swimming star Summer McIntosh started her 2025 World Aquatics Championships with two comfy qualification swims on Sunday, 27 July, which means she’s going to tackle Katie Ledecky for a world title later.

Despite being early on a Sunday morning, a big crowd packed out the primary grandstand, waving flags and inflatable sticks in nationwide colors, offering loads of environment in Singapore’s World Championships Arena.

Cheering descended right into a nonetheless silence as Paris 2024 Olympic star McIntosh strolled out for her first warmth within the ladies’s 200m particular person medley.

The reigning Olympic champion and world report holder blasted out of the blocks to take a half-body-length lead on the primary leg, earlier than slowing her tempo to preserve vitality for her packed racing schedule.

She touched the wall in 2:09:46 – one hundredth of a second behind winner Tara Kinder of Australia – to guide her place on this night’s semi-final.

After acknowledging the applauding followers, McIntosh shortly departed the competitors space to maximise her relaxation earlier than the 400m freestyle heats.

Just 90 minutes later, the 18-year-old clocked 4:03:11, simply behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in warmth 4 of the 400 free to safe a showdown on this night’s ultimate towards US legend Ledecky, who gained the earlier warmth with a time of 4:01:04.

McIntosh’s world report of three:54:18, set eventually month’s Canadian Trials, is at risk of being damaged once more.