Behind Personal Best, Summer McIntosh Clips Olympic Champ Maggie Mac Neil in 100 Butterfly at Canadian Open

Summer Mcintosh of Canada competes in the 400m Individual Medley Women Final during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 30th, 2023. Summer Mcintosh placed first winning the gold medal.

Behind Personal Best, Summer McIntosh Edges Olympic Champ Maggie Mac Neil in 100 Butterfly at Canadian Open

For several years, including as the world champion in 2022 and 2023, Summer McIntosh has been the premier female in the world in the 200-meter butterfly. On Friday night, while racing at the Canadian Open, McIntosh showed her talent at half that distance.

Registering a career-best time of 57.19 in the 100 butterfly, the 17-year-old claimed a narrow triumph over reigning Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil, who touched the wall in 57.24. McIntosh and Mac Neil battled for the duration of the race, with Mac Neil holding the lead at the midway point, 26.69 to 26.74. But McIntosh had a slightly quicker back half, going 30.45 to the 30.55 of Mac Neil, and that finish proved to be the difference.

Looking ahead to the Canadian Olympic Trials and Olympic Games in Paris, the 100 butterfly doesn’t figure to be part of McIntosh’s program. Instead, McIntosh is staring at a schedule that will emphasize the 400 freestyle, 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly. The 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 800 freestyle could also be part of McIntosh’s slate. Earlier in the Canadian Open, McIntosh won the 200 freestyle in a world-leading time of 1:54.21.

Mac Neil will chase a repeat of her gold medal from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Mac Neil also owns a world championship in the 100 butterfly and will be part of an event in Paris that is expected to be as deep as any during the nine-day meet.

In other action on Friday night in Toronto, Ella Jansen won the women’s 400 freestyle in 4:11.54 while the men’s event went to Alexander Axon (3:49.33). Finlay Knox topped the field in the men’s 100 butterfly in 52.47.

Delia Lloyd beat Madison Kryger by the slimmest of margins in the women’s 200 backstroke, 2:11.95 to 2:11.96. Ethan Ekk was the men’s winner of the 200 backstroke, behind a swim of 1:59.22.

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