The End: World Record from Summer McIntosh Brings Women’s Super-Suit Standards to Zero
Dozens of national records have gone unchallenged. A trio of Olympic records are still on the books. And there are still five men’s world records standing. But for the first time since the sport’s technological circus folded up its big top more than 16 years ago, there are zero super-suit women’s world records remaining.
The last of the female super-suit standards was wiped out on Sunday night when Summer McIntosh, racing at the Canadian Trials for the Pan Pacific Championships, clocked 2:01.65 in the 200-meter butterfly. That performance from McIntosh erased the 2009 record of China’s Liu Zige, who went 2:01.81 at the 2009 Chinese National Games. McIntosh now owns world records in the 400 freestyle, 200 fly, 200 individual medley and 400 IM.
From early 2008 through the conclusion of 2009, the sport endured a dark period, one in which technological doping played a massive role. Pure talent and hard work did not solely determine the fastest athletes in water. Instead, polyurethane suits, which served as motors of sorts, dictated who was swiftest.
More than 100 world records were broken during the super-suit era, including a ridiculous 40-plus at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Down the stretch in multiple finals, athletes were seemingly boosted by a rocket, rather than forced to fight through fatigue and pain. Simply, ability was replaced by technology, until World Aquatics (then FINA) ruled that the suits would be banned beginning on January 1, 2010.
When Liu cracked the 2:02 barrier in the 200 fly, the speed was stunning. The Chinese star took an incredible 1.60 seconds off the previous global mark, the 2:03.41 by Australian Jessicah Schipper at the 2009 World Champs (a race where Liu had taken silver). The time seemed untouchable, and for almost two decades, that was the case. But McIntosh is a generational talent, and it is fitting that the Canadian teenager is responsible for eliminating the last of the women’s super-suit records.
McIntosh nearly got the job done last year, as she blistered a 2:01.99 performance on the way to gold at the World Championships in Singapore. The teenager also went 2:02.26 at the Canadian Trials for Worlds and clocked 2:02.62 at the U.S. Open. July 5, 2026 will go down as the date she caught her white whale, and the super-suit reign – in women’s competition – came to an end.
After opening with a 27.45 split, McIntosh went through the halfway point of the race in 58.21. She turned at 150 meters in 1:29.73 and capped her latest world record with a split of 31.92. During Liu’s swim, she was out in 27.19 and split 58.08 at the 100-meter mark. Liu hit the wall at 150 meters in 1:30.20 and came home in 31.61.
*********************
Here are the men’s world records remaining from the super-suit days:
200 Freestyle
Paul Biedermann (Germany) – 1:42.00 – July 28, 2009
800 Freestyle
Zhang Lin (China) – 7:32.12 – July 29, 2009
200 Backstroke
Aaron Peirsol (United States) – 1:51.92 – July 31, 2009
400 Freestyle Relay
United States (Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones, Lezak) – 3:08.24 – August 11, 2008
800 Freestyle Relay
United States (Phelps, Berens, Walters, Lochte) – 6:58.55 – July 31, 2009