SINGAPORE — Summer McIntosh geared up for a swimming duel with American star Katie Ledecky, while Blake Tierney fell agonizingly short of the podium Friday at the world championship.
McIntosh races for a fourth straight gold in Singapore in Saturday’s 800-metre freestyle.
It could be the Canadian's toughest challenge yet as McIntosh needs to beat reigning Olympic champion and world-record holder Ledecky for another gold.
McIntosh posted the third-fastest time in Friday's heats at eight minutes 19.88 seconds behind Ledecky (8:14.62) and Lanni Pallister of Australia (8:17.06).
McIntosh and Ledecky will race in lanes beside each other in the final scheduled for 8:17 a.m. ET.
“Any time I get to race Katie, whether it’s in the 800, which I haven’t done in a while or the 400 or any event really, any time we get a matchup it’s lots of fun,” said McIntosh. “She pushes me to reach bigger goals, so I’m really excited to race her tomorrow night.”
The 18-year-old from Toronto beat Ledecky in the 400-metre freestyle on opening day for the first of her three gold medals, which is the most by a Canadian at a world championship.
McIntosh was also victorious in the 200-metre individual medley and 200-metre butterfly.
Her stated goal for Singapore was five wins in her five individual races — the 400 individual medley is Sunday — which is a feat only U.S. great Michael Phelps has achieved at a single world championship.
Ledecky is the only woman to win four gold medals at a long-course world championship, which she did in 2015 in Kazan, Russia.
Also Friday, Toronto’s Josh Liendo and Montreal’s Ilya Kharun booked spots in the men’s 100-metre butterfly final Saturday. The two shared the Olympic podium in Paris last year, with Liendo taking silver and Kharun the bronze. Liendo turned in the second-fastest time in the semifinals of 50.24 seconds, while Kharun was fourth in 50.39.
Saskatoon's Tierney finished fourth in the men’s 200-metre backstroke in 1:55.09, which was just under half a second short of a medal.
“This is my first time ever making a semi, let alone a final, in the 200 back,” Tierney said.
The 23-year-old broke the Canadian record twice — in the heats (1:55.17) and again in the semifinal (1:55.03) — to qualify for the final.
“The plan was really just to treat each swim like it was my only swim, so if I didn’t make a semi or final, I’d be able to walk with my head high," Tierney said. "It was a little more taxing than maybe some of the other guys who maybe cruised some in the morning. But three 1:55s, I’m pretty happy with that.”
Hungary’s Hubert Kós won gold in 1:53.19, followed by South Africa’s Pieter Coetze (1:53.36) and France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (1:54.62).
Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., finished 13th in women's 50-metre butterfly, and Calgary's Ingrid Wilm was 13th in the women's 200-metre backstroke.
Singapore offers a prize purse of US$3.1 million for pool and open-water swimmers, plus a $30,000 bonus to swimmers who break world records.
Canada has won six medals at the world aquatics championships — five in swimming and one in high diving.
Victoria diver Carson Paul placed 14th in men's springboard Friday.
Montreal's Amelie-Laura Jasmin qualified for the women's springboard final Saturday by placing 10th in preliminaries. Calgary's Margo Erlam was 20th and didn't advance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
The Canadian Press
