Summer McIntosh has learned to manage hectic competition schedules better over the years.
And with that has come a willingness to further challenge herself.
The 18-year-old from Toronto has her sights set on wins in five events at the upcoming world aquatics championships in Singapore. McIntosh won four medals (three gold, one silver) at the Paris Olympics last year in her usual four events — the 200 individual medley, 200 butterfly, 400 individual medley and 400 freestyle.
Adding the 800 freestyle has brought some added motivation this year.
"I'm always kind of juggling all four strokes, which is always a good time in training how to figure that out, along with adding in the 800," she said. "I've focused a little bit more on distance training. (...) It's never going to hurt when you're trying to finish a 400 free or a 400 IM, let alone an 800.
"But I think overall, I am just excited to see how I manage doing five events, which I've never done before on the world level. I did four in Paris and I think to add this new challenge this year really kept me motivated, so I'm excited to see how that goes."
McIntosh, who owns eight world championship medals, including four golds between the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley, had a few reasons for adding the 800 freestyle to her schedule at worlds, with the swimming events set to start July 26. The championships run from Friday to Aug. 3.
She said facing Katie Ledecky would be an "awesome challenge" and said the American "being so strong in her top form right now this season is also really cool to see." Ledecky owns the world record and has won the last four Olympic golds in the 800 freestyle.
However, McIntosh said it was also a scheduling matter. If she had chosen the 200 freestyle or backstroke, she would have one more session than the 800 in the form of a semifinal race.
McIntosh, who said she's open to competing in relay events as well, broke three world records (200 IM, 400 IM, 400 freestyle) out of the five events at Canadian swim trials in early June in Victoria. She was just .45 seconds off the 16-year-old world record in the 200 butterfly.
Looking ahead to worlds, McIntosh aims to be even faster.
"I think the goal is always to be faster and that's how I approach every day in training," she said. "But I think the fun part of the sport is not knowing how fast you're gonna swim at a meet and those unknowns are really fun. But I mean, I'm feeling really strong in training."
McIntosh has been training in Antibes, France, with coach Fred Vergnoux for much of the year and credited the Frenchman for her feats so far in 2025.
"He's such an amazing coach and he has really taken me to the next level in the sport," she said. "And to do that with such a little time together is, I mean, it just shows how amazing he is at what he does."
McIntosh previously trained in Sarasota, Fla., under coach Brent Arckey and is set to join Bob Bowman, the longtime coach of swimming great Michael Phelps, in Austin, Texas, later in the summer.
"There's many, many reasons I made the decision to move to Austin and train under Bob Bowman," she said. "I mean, it's really amazing to see what he's done with Leon (Marchand), of course, and that's really inspiring, along with so many of his other current swimmers that are currently on the pro team and the university team as well.
"Along with, of, course, what he did with Michael. I mean that's never going to not be something that the swim world knows about, right?"
In the meantime, McIntosh is sticking to the main thing: winning by any means, world record or not.
"My main goal in Singapore is just to get my hand on the wall first as many times as I can rather than the time," she said. "But, in doing so, we can also come with some world records, hopefully, so we'll have to see."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.
Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press
