Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Summer McIntosh of Canada broke the women’s 200m butterfly world record in Montreal, clocking a time of 2:01.65. This beat the previous record of 2:01.81 set by China’s Liu Zige in October 2009, ending a 15-year stretch during which the record stood unbroken.
McIntosh’s splits featured a particularly strong third 50m segment, where she outpaced Liu’s time, contributing to her record-breaking finish. This marks the seventh career long course world record for McIntosh across four individual events, including the 200m and 400m individual medley (IM) and the 400m freestyle. By holding four individual world records at once, she joins an elite group of swimmers such as Michael Phelps and Sarah Sjostrom.
At 19, McIntosh described the achievement as deeply meaningful, noting the 200m butterfly record was the one she thought she might never break. Liu’s previous record was set in a year when many world records fell, but it had remained untouched. After changes in swimsuit regulations, competitive times in the event initially slowed, with marks near 2:04 to 2:05 prevailing until recent years.
McIntosh debuted at the Olympics in Tokyo 2021 at age 14, finishing fourth in the 400m freestyle. She established her status as a leading swimmer at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships by winning gold in the 200m butterfly and 400m IM. Continuing her record-breaking streak, McIntosh lowered world records in the 400m freestyle and 400m IM in 2023, surpassing previous holders such as Ariarne Titmus and Katinka Hosszu.