SINGAPORE — A must-see race at the world swimming championship lived up to its billing.
Canada's Summer McIntosh emerged with a bronze medal after a three-way duel from start to finish in the women's 800-metre freestyle Saturday in Singapore.
The Toronto teenager, Olympic champion Katie Ledecky of the United States and Lani Pallister of Australia battled from the blocks to the wall with Ledecky claiming her seventh world title in the distance.
“I hate losing more than I like winning and I think that’s a mentality that I’ve carried with myself throughout my entire career,” McIntosh said. “That’s really what gets my hand on the wall first most of the time. The feeling right now is something that I never want to feel again.”
McIntosh, seeking a fourth-straight gold medal in Singapore, ran second to the American star before making her move at the final turn for a brief lead after 700 metres.
But Ledecky surged and delivered the knockout punch over the final 50 with Pallister closing fast behind her.
“I just knew it was close the whole way," Ledecky said. "There were times where I thought I was just going to break away. I was just happy I was up there."
Ledecky touched the wall in eight minutes, 5.62 seconds with Pallister less than four-tenths of a second behind. McIntosh ran out of gas and touched the wall 1.67 seconds after Ledecky.
"That’s not even close to what I wanted time-wise, place-wise, how I executed the race," McIntosh said. "I want to say congrats to Katie of course and Lani, they had amazing swims, but that’s not what I wanted myself individually."
McIntosh will come up short in her goal of five gold medals in her five races.
However, the 18-year-old is the favourite and world-record holder in the women's 400-metre individual medley on Sunday's last day of competition.
"At this point I’m thinking about the 400 IM. I’m not done yet,” McIntosh said.
McIntosh was already the first Canadian to win three gold medals in a single world championship with victories in the 400 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley.
Montreal's Ilya Kharun took bronze in the men's 100-metre butterfly Saturday to give Canada eight medals at the world aquatics championships — seven in swimming and one in diving.
The 20-year-old Kharun, who was an Olympic bronze medallist last year in Paris, posted a time of 50.07 seconds.
Maxime Grousset of France was the winner in 49.62 ahead of silver medallist Noe Ponti of Switzerland in 49.83.
Kharun missed the 50-metre butterfly final by a hundredth of a second and finished fourth in the 200 fly less than two-tenths away from a medal. So the Canadian was happy to claim some hardware.
“I’m so happy, I think it was well deserved,” he stated.
Toronto's Josh Liendo was fourth in 50.09. Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., placed 10th in the women's 50-metre freestyle.
Liendo, Ruck, Marie-Sophie Harvey and Ruslan Gaziev placed sixth in the mixed 4 x 100 freestyle relay.
The world aquatics championship in Singapore offers a total prize purse of US$6 million in diving, water polo, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving. Swimmers who broke world records receive a $30,000 bonus.
Montreal diver Amelie-Laura Jasmin placed 11th in women's springboard Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025.
The Canadian Press
