Summer McIntosh Shatters 200 Fly World Record in 2:01.65, Ending Oldest WR in Women’s Swimming

2026 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials

Women’s 200m Butterfly – Finals

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige, China (2009)
• Canadian Record: 2:01.99 – Summer McIntosh (2025)
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Standard: 2:09.21

1. Summer McIntosh – 2:01.65 *NEW WORLD RECORD/CANADIAN RECORD
2. Mary-Sophie Harvey – 2:10.58
3. Claire Watson – 2:12.58

In a efficiency that shook the swimming world, Summer McIntosh shattered the world report within the ladies’s 200-meter fly with a blazing time of two:01.65 on night time one of many 2026 Canadian Swimming Trials in Montreal.

The oldest world report in ladies’s swimming at virtually 17 years outdated, the 200 fly world report was the final remaining report from the super-suit period on the ladies’s facet and just some years in the past appeared unbreakable.

McIntosh shaved .16 off of the earlier world report time of two:01.81, set by China’s Liu Zige again in 2009. McIntosh’s efficiency additionally broke her personal Canadian report within the occasion, as she took .34 off of her lifetime finest from the 2025 World Championships.

McIntosh dominated proper from the beginning in Montreal, blasting forward of the sphere to realize virtually a physique size’s lead by the 50-meter mark; she turned in 27.45 on the 50, over a second forward of runner-up Mary-Sophie Harvey. McIntosh continued to increase her lead all through the race, finally getting her palms on the wall virtually 9 seconds forward of Harvey.

Despite trailing Zige’s world report tempo by almost two-tenths on the midway level, McIntosh pulled off a quicker backhalf than the previous report holder, chasing down the world report line and surpassing it to set a brand new commonplace.

Split Comparison

McIntosh swam this race the one means she might – she wanted to assault the third 50 and maintain on for expensive life towards the World Record line within the closing. The polyurethane fits just like the one Zige wore to set her World Record have been theorized to offer swimmers a giant closing benefit, and that confirmed up in Zige’s swim.

In addition to breaking the world report and Canadian report within the occasion, McIntosh’s time additionally set a brand new Commonwealth report and Americas report within the 200 fly.

McIntosh now owns 4 LCM world data; the 19-year-old already held the title of quickest ever performer within the ladies’s 400 free, 200 IM and 400 IM. The 200 fly world report is maybe probably the most notorious of all of them, along with her efficiency within the occasion additional cementing her place in swimming historical past.