(Reuters) – Summer McIntosh ended Katie Ledecky’s nine-year home pool winning streak on Friday when the Canadian teenager touched first in the 200 metres freestyle at a Pro Series swim meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
McIntosh clocked a winning time of one minute, 54.13 seconds, lowering her world junior record set at last year’s world championships, coming home .83 seconds clear of Ledecky.
It marked the first defeat for Ledecky in a domestic freestyle long course final of 200m or longer since a loss to Allison Schmitt in 2014.
“I’m really happy with that swim,” 16-year-old McIntosh, who becomes the ninth fastest woman in history in the event, told the Peacock network. “It hurt really bad.”
Ledecky, won four gold at the Rio Olympics including the 200m freestyle but dominates in the longer freestyle distances.
She has won gold in the 800m free at the 2012 London, 2016 Rio and 2020 Summer Games.
Ledecky has not yet confirmed her schedule for next year’s Paris Olympics where McIntosh will also be a multiple medal threat.
While Ledecky grabbed gold in the 400m, 800m and 1500m frees, plus the 4x200m free relay at last year’s world championships McIntosh won the 200m fly and 400m individual medley and finished second to the American in the 400m free.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
