Generational swimming skills Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky conflict in Olympics preview

In one of the consequential non-Olympic races in years, all-time swimming nice Katie Ledecky might face an unprecedented problem Saturday from Canadian teen Summer McIntosh in an occasion the American has owned for greater than a decade.

The pair will compete within the 800-meter freestyle ultimate of the swimming world championships, in a race that’ll be streamed live on Peacock at 8:21 p.m. local time in Singapore (8:21 a.m. ET)

“This will be the biggest race of this century, men or women, from outside of the Olympic format,” three-time gold medalist and NBC swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines advised NBC News. “I don’t know how you can get bigger than this.”

Gaines known as the Ledecky the best feminine swimmer of all-time and McIntosh the most effective up to date performer, saying each judgments are “not even close.”

The 28-year-old Ledecky has 14 Olympic medals on her mantle at house, 9 of them coloured gold. McIntosh, 18, took house three golds and a silver from in Paris final yr.

“Katie is the greatest of all time, absolutely, and it’s not even close,” Gaines stated. “(McIntosh) is world swimmer of the year at the end of the year, regardless of what happens in the 800 (on Saturday). She’s still the world swimmer of the year by far, nobody’s even close.”

Both swimmers cruised by means of their qualifying heats Friday afternoon to formally qualify for Saturday’s ultimate.

Ledecky will probably be in Lane 4 on Saturday, with McIntosh in 3 and Australia’s Lani Pallister in 5.

The grind of this lengthy meet does not appear to be bothering McIntosh.

“Honestly, I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to this morning,” she stated after her 800 warmth. “I’ve been recovering really well. I mean, we’re on Day 6? So I feel like this really promising.”

On the road on this millennial vs. Gen Z battle is Ledecky’s loss of life grip on the 800 free. Her domination of the race predates former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s latest residency at 24 Sussex and former White House occupant Barack Obama’s second time period.

The Maryland native and niece of New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky took 800 gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, 2016 in Rio, 2021 in Tokyo and last summer near Paris.

She’s the one girl to win the identical particular person occasion at 4 Olympics, in any sport. The solely different swimmer to drag off such a four-peat was American legend Michael Phelps, who took the 200 particular person medley in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.

Ledecky has additionally received the 800 free six consecutive times on the world championships relationship again to 2013.

Ledecky stated she is aware of this potential 800 seven-peat will not be a cakewalk.

“It’s going to take a a heck of a race (to win),” she advised NBC Sports earlier this week after taking bronze in 400 free, ending greater than two seconds behind the first-place McIntosh.

“I mean I got to bring my all,” she stated. “(McIntosh is) on fire and it’s going to be a great race.”

Ledecky’s air of 800 invincibility was dented final yr when McIntosh, then simply 17 years previous, touched the wall first at on the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 8.

McIntosh opted towards swimming within the 800 in France to focus on different occasions as she took gold in 200 butterfly, 200 Individual Medley and 400 Individual Medley to turn out to be one of many breakout stars of last summer.

The Toronto native and daughter of 1984 Canadian Olympic swimmer Jill Horstead is dedicated to swimming the 800 in Los Angeles and Saturday’s splash towards Ledecky might function a tantalizing preview of that potential Olympics conflict.

Ledecky has proven no indicators of slowing down. Earlier this week, she scooped up gold in the 1,500 free, along with that 400 free bronze and silver in the 4×200 free relay.

McIntosh has already bagged three world golds this week in that 400 free, 200 IM and 200 fly.