Summer McIntosh wins gold, repeats as world champ in 200m butterfly
Canadian swimmer, 16, sets new national and world junior records in 2:04.06
Canada's Summer McIntosh retained her world title in the women's 200-metre butterfly final on Thursday at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
The 16-year-old swimmer from Toronto finished in two minutes, 4.06 seconds — a new Canadian and world junior record.
Australia's Elizabeth Dekkers took silver in 2:05.46, while American Regan Smith claimed bronze in 2:06.58.
After the medal ceremony, McIntosh told CBC Sports reporter Devin Heroux that her game plan was to keep things light.
"Going into this race I knew I'd [won] world champion last year, and that was kind of unexpected for me," she said. "I was just trying to have as much fun as possible and race as hard as I could – and just try to hold on in that second half, [which] is so hard in the 200 fly.
"Overall I'm happy with what I accomplished tonight."
WATCH | McIntosh claims gold in Japan:
Thursday's win also continued McIntosh's "bounceback" from a disappointing fourth-place finish in the women's 400m freestyle final earlier in the week.
"After that [400m freestyle final], I knew I had to turn things around quickly as I had so many other events I was looking forward to, and I wasn't going to let it get me down," she said. "I was just really excited because 200 fly is one of my favourite events.
"It's all about mindset, especially at these long meets."
After receiving her medal, McIntosh immediately sought out her parents.
"I hadn't seen them in a while with being away for so long with staging camp and things like that. To share that moment with them plus my sister cheering me on back home in addition to all my friends and family, really means the world to have their support," she said.
McIntosh later joined the Canadian 4x200m freestyle relay team of Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O'Croinin, Brooklyn Douthwright as they finished in fifth place with a time of 7:49.98.
Australia took the gold in a world-record time of 7:37.50, while the U.S. (7:41.38) and China (7:44.40) took silver and bronze, respectively.
With her victory, McIntosh became the second Canadian to successfully defend a gold and to reach three career gold medals at worlds, joining backstroke specialist Kylie Masse.
WATCH | Australians set world record, Canadians 5th in women's 4x200m:
Canadians miss podium in backstroke
Meanwhile, Masse finished fourth in the women's 50m backstroke final, while Canadian teammate Ingrid Wilm finished sixth.
Masse, of LaSalle, Ont., finished in a personal best of 27.28 seconds, just behind bronze-medal winner Lauren Cox (27.20).
"The 50 is always a tough one because it's so close but that's the fastest I've gone this year so I have to be pleased with that,'' she said.
WATCH | Masses misses podium:
Australia's Kaylee McKeown won gold in 27.08, while Regan Smith won her second medal of the session, taking silver in 27.11.
Wilm, of Calgary, touched the wall in 27.41.
Also, Winnipeg's Kelsey Wog qualified eighth for Friday's 200 breaststroke final clocking 2:24.16.
"There's definitely a few things that I know I can fix,'' said Wog. ''It didn't go quite as I wanted to in that race, but it's a season's best this year. It's been a tough year so I can't complain about that.
With files from Devin Heroux
