Summer McIntosh Flexes Muscle with 2:07 200 Backstroke at Atlanta Classic; Katie Ledecky, Kate Douglass Prevail

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Summer McIntosh Flexes Muscle with 2:07 200 Back at Atlanta Classic

Canadian wunderkind Summer McIntosh offered another glimpse of the depth of her skill on the final day of the Atlanta Classic by winning the women’s 200 backstroke.

McIntosh went 2:07.34 to win the final by nearly five seconds. It’s just shy of her lifetime best of 2:07.15 and within two seconds of Kylie Masse’s Canadian record. It’s also faster than the time Masse used to finish fifth (2:08.00) at the World Championships last year.

McIntosh was well ahead of fellow Canadian Mabel Zavaros, who finished second in 2:12.08. Josephine Fuller of Tennessee was third, and Emma Weyant finished fifth.

The final night session did not include a swim from Caeleb Dressel, in his first meet back since last summer. Dressel scratched the 200 IM in the morning and finished fifth in prelims of the 100 free in 50.29 seconds. He skipped out on the final in the latter.

Also foregoing the final of the 100 free was the owner of the quickest time in the morning, Macguire McDuff, who went 49.29 in prelims. Florida teammate Josh Liendo won the evening’s race in 49.19, .15 up on Kieran Smith. Zane Grothe was third in 49.68.

Katie Ledecky and Bobby Finke each picked up another win to end the weekend. Ledecky went 8:13.56 in the 800 free, a 25-second margin of victory over Rachel Stege in a limited field. Finke likewise handled the 1,500 free in 15:26.89, winning by 20 seconds over fellow Floridian Giovanni Lindscheer.

The other distance events were even less populated. Alfonso Mestre won the men’s 800 in 7:58.80, while Kate McCarville claimed the women’s 1,500 in 17:16.37.

Kate Douglass got a race to wrap up her meet, eventually prevailing in the 200 individual medley in 2:12.04. That’s exactly three seconds shy of her best time from the Tokyo Olympics. Isabel Ivey pushed her, going 2:12.79. That’s .23 off her best time from the Pro Swim Series stop in Illinois last month. Douglass also claimed the third seed but scratched finals in the 100 free by going 55.79 in the morning. (Ditto for Ivey, who was fifth in 55.90 in prelims.)

That 100 free ultimately went to Maxine Parker, who outsprinted Natalie Hinds in the final. Parker clocked in at 54.21, with Hinds in 54.77. Gabby DeLoof was third in 55.86.

Zach Hils won the men’s 200 IM in 2:01.50, besting Florida teammate Mason Laur. Native Atlantan Chris Thames got gold in the 200 back with a time of 1:58.79, besting Jack Aikins’ 1:59.24.

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