Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh has her second world record of the week at the world short course championships.
The reigning Olympic and world champion covered the women’s 200-metre butterfly in one minute 59.32 seconds for the gold medal over Regan Smith (2:01.00) of the United States on Thursday in Budapest, Hungary. Australian Elizabeth Dekkers collected bronze in 2:02.91.
Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain held the previous world mark of 1:59.61 since Dec. 3, 2014.
On Tuesday, McIntosh posted a world-record time (3:50.25) in the women’s 400 freestyle for her first individual world short course championship gold.
McIntosh entered the final fresh off a world junior record 2:01.96 to win her morning heat.
“After this morning I definitely felt it was a possibility to break the two-minute barrier and get the world record,” McIntosh told Devin Heroux of CBC Sports, adding she’ll buy “extra [Christmas] gifts for my friends and family” with another $25,000 US in her pocket for a world-record performance.”
The Toronto athlete now boasts 14 medals at worlds in short course (25m) and long course (50m) combined.
After training regularly through the fall in Florida, she quickly demonstrated world record form in Hungary.
“Anytime I have a great meet like this, my goal when I [return] to training is to keep pushing forward,” McIntosh said. “It’s only a bigger motivator to keep trying to get better. Super excited to see all my hard work pay off.”
Earlier this week, she was recipient of the Northern Star Award as Canada’s athlete of the year (formerly the Lou Marsh Trophy), with media members from across Canada voting for the annual Toronto Star award.
WATCH | McIntosh rules women’s 200m butterfly final in Budapest:
Summer McIntosh broke the short course world record in the women’s 200-metre butterfly, with a time of 1:59.32. It’s her second world record and second gold medal at these World Aquatics short course championships in Budapest.
In the men’s 200 fly, Montreal native Ilya Kharun set a championship record and lowered his national mark to 1:48.24 for his first individual world title, beating Alberto Razzetti of Italy, who touched the wall in 1:48.64. Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski took bronze (1:49.26).
At 2022 short course worlds, Kharun clocked 1:50.86 in the 200 butterfly.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” he told Heroux. “I think [a win] was definitely coming [after placing] third at the [Paris] Olympics. Not the same opponents here, but I knew I had a chance to get first.”
WATCH | Kharun lowers his Canadian mark in men’s 200m butterfly:
Montreal’s Ilya Kharun broke his own Canadian record, with a time of 1:48.24, to win the gold medal in the men’s 200-metre butterfly, at the World Aquatics short course championships in Budapest.
The 19-year-old Kharun won silver in the men’s 50 butterfly Wednesday before helping the Canadian mixed 4x50m relay team to a silver-medal finish.
“We are a butterfly nation,” declared CBC Sports analyst Brittany MacLean. “It’s our greatest strength [in the pool].”
Elsewhere, Ingrid Wilm of Calgary will try to collect a fourth medal at these championships on Friday at 12:04 p.m. ET in the women’s 50 backstroke final.
She and Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., qualified third and fourth in 25.81 and 25.98 seconds, respectively.
Wilm, 26, began her podium push Tuesday with bronze in the 100 freestyle relay and doubled up Wednesday in the mixed 4×50 medley relay (silver) and 100 backstroke (bronze).
For Masse, she will compete for a second medal in Budapest after capturing silver in the mixed 4×50 medley relay wiht Wilm, Kharun and Finlay Knox.
Knox