Summer McIntosh became the third swimmer to win five individual medals at one World Championships.
Summer McIntosh capped arguably the best world championships for a female swimmer by winning her fourth individual gold medal.
McIntosh, an 18-year-old Canadian, swam the third-fastest 400m individual medley in history — 4 minutes, 25.78 seconds, distancing the field by 7.48 seconds. McIntosh holds the four fastest times ever in the event, including the world record of 4:23.65.
She became the second female swimmer to win four individual golds at a single worlds — also taking the 400m freestyle, 200m IM and 200m butterfly earlier in the meet. She tacked on an 800m free bronze Saturday.
Katie Ledecky, who won Saturday's 800m free, is the only other female swimmer to claim four individual golds at a worlds (200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m frees in 2015). Swede Sarah Sjostrom is the only other female swimmer to earn five individual medals at one worlds (2019).
SWIMMING WORLDS: Results
Overall, the U.S. earned the most medals for a 17th consecutive worlds dating to 1991 — including at least one medal in 15 of the 18 individual women's events.
The U.S. men claimed one individual gold medal (Luca Urlando, 200m butterfly), matching their fewest at a worlds (1994, 2015).
A majority of the 47 total American swimmers were affected to varying degrees by acute gastroenteritis, or a stomach bug, leading into and during the meet.
“I think nobody really understands kind of what the group has been through unless you are on this trip," national team managing director Greg Meehan said on Peacock. "The challenges were incredible. When you have people losing 15 pounds, 20 pounds, that’s a lot, and they have persevered."
Also Sunday, France's Leon Marchand became the first man to sweep the 200m and 400m IMs for a third worlds, taking the latter by 3.59 seconds in 4:04.73, the fifth-fastest time in history.
Tunisia's Ahmed Jaouadi won the 1500m free to complete a sweep of the men's distance races.
American Bobby Finke, the Olympic gold medalist and world record holder, earned bronze — making it five medals in his last five global championships in the event.
Finke said before placing fourth in Wednesday's 800m free that his personal goals were derailed by the stomach bug.
"This meet's been quite a whirlwind," he said after Sunday's race. "I'm disappointed with my results, but that's on me. I've just got to do better next year.
"I'm happy to be on the podium. It's obviously not the place I want. My endurance was a little bit better after the 800m. I think it showed there (in the 1500m)."
Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won a fourth consecutive world title in the 50m breaststroke, 13 years after taking Olympic 100m breast gold at age 15.
American Lilly King, who followed Meilutyte as Olympic 100m breast champ in 2016, finished fifth in Sunday's 50m breast in the last race of her career.
In the 50m backstroke, Kliment Kolesnikov, a neutral athlete from Russia, won by tying his own second-fastest time in history (23.68). His world record is 23.55.
World Championships highlights air next Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
Category: General Sports
