Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh beat Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle in Florida on Thursday night, ending the American star’s 13-year lead in the long-distance event Years of undefeated record.
The 17-year-old McIntosh hit the wall with a national record time of 8 minutes, 11.39 seconds, beating Ledecky’s time of 8 minutes, 17.12 seconds set at the Southern Sectional Championships in Orlando. The previous Canadian record was 8 minutes, 20.19 seconds, set by Brittany MacLean at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships.
Ledecky, the three-time defending Olympic 800-meter champion and one of the most dominant swimmers in the history of the sport, had a best of 29 times in Thursday’s meet, NBC Sports reported. McIntosh finished 17th all time, and Ledecky finished in the top 16.
The American first set the 800m world record in 2013 and has broken it four more times since then, with the current record being 8 minutes, 04.79 seconds set at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Ledecky, who turns 27 next month, is expected to compete for a fourth consecutive 800m freestyle gold in Paris, where she will become the first female swimmer to win the same Olympic event four times.
McIntosh is the world record holder in the 400m individual mixed style and is now the second fastest woman in history in the 400m freestyle and 800m freestyle.
