Canadian Summer McIntosh became the first swimmer to win a 400m freestyle over Katie Ledecky in a U.S. pool in 11 years, taking the title at the Toyota U.S. Open on Thursday.
McIntosh, a 17-year-old who held the 400m free world record for three months this year, clocked 3 minutes, 59.42 seconds in Greensboro, North Carolina.
She distanced Ledecky by 2.96 seconds. It’s hard to gauge Olympic prospects on this meet given swimmers are at different points in their training cycles.
Ledecky’s last loss in a 400m free in a U.S. pool was when she placed third at the 2012 Olympic Trials at age 15. Last March, McIntosh snapped Ledecky’s nine-year domestic win streak in the 200m free. Ledecky is still undefeated in domestic 800m and 1500m free races for 13 years.
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McIntosh is the two-time reigning world champion in the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley.
She also entered this past July’s worlds as the world record holder in the 400m free and finished fourth in a race where Australian Ariarne Titmus regained the world record.
“After that race, I learned a lot about how to get back out after it,” McIntosh said on Peacock on Thursday. “I had so many races after that that I was really happy with. No matter how bad one race is, you really get back up and get back into it.”
The U.S. Open continues with finals on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, live on Peacock.
Also Thursday, Michael Andrew won the 50m free in 21.80.
Caeleb Dressel took the B final in 21.99 as he continues his return after a months-long break from the sport last year. Before this meet, Dressel’s best time in 2023 was 22.57. His 21.99 would have placed eighth at this past summer’s nationals.
Former University of Virginia teammates Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh repeated their one-two from worlds. Douglass prevailed by a half-second in 2:08.46.
About 25 minutes later, Douglass won the 50m free in 24.38, taking two hundredths off her personal best. She’s third-fastest in the nation this year.
Shaine Casas swam the fastest men’s 200m IM from the B final, a 1:56.06 that matched the best American time this year, which he set in April. Casas was fourth at worlds.
Drew Kibler, who has primarily been a 100m and 200m freestyler, won the men’s 400m free in 3:47.58, taking 2.3 seconds off his personal best. He’s now the fifth-fastest American in the event in 2023.
