"I'm definitely not happy with that time I know I can go faster"-Summer McIntosh expresses discontent after finishing 400m free in world-lead time

Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh swam the 400m freestyle pool in 3:59.06, a world-leading time, at the recently concluded 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Trials. But she didn't celebrate the win as much and was of the opinion that her winning time could be better.

Summer McIntosh, 17, is a swimmer from Canada, who has the 400m individual medley world record in her wall of fame. She's the current No.1 according to the 2023 end-season rankings.

At 14, McIntosh had her first Olympic stint at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she finished fourth in the 400m freestyle. Soon after, she secured the pole position at the World Aquatics Championships, becoming the youngest champion in over a decade.

She had set the 400m freestyle in 2023 along with the 400m individual medley but was stripped off the former by Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus the same year. The Toronto native is a four-time World Aquatics Champion as well.

McIntosh swam the 200m free pool in a world-leading time (1:54.21) at the 2024 Canadian Open. To maintain her win streak, she won the 400m free at the 2024 Canadian Olympic & Paralympic Trials. However, from her post-race interview with CBC Sports, it was clear that she was not content with her racing time.

"I mean, overall, I'm going to be honest, I'm not happy with that time. I know I can go faster. It doesn't really reflect my training. You know, just a little time mark."

However, her following statement asserted that she was content with securing her Paris Olympic spot.

"I know I can go faster. It doesn't really reflect my training. You know, just a little time mark."

Summer McIntosh shares her strategy for heading to the world-leading race

Though her recent 400m free race was not up to the mark for Summer McIntosh, the teenage swimming icon came with a positive mindset and a winning strategy. She opened up to CBC Sports after earning a spot in the Paris Olympics roster.

"Just to go out there and try my absolute hardest and try to exit my race as best as possible. So, yeah, I'll definitely be looking at my race videos and going over splits and things like that to see where I can improve."

Notably, McIntosh mindfully missed the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha since Paris was her primary goal. She defeated Katie Ledecky, a dominant name in the women's swimming realm, in the 800m distance in Orlando this year. Ledecky never had anybody best her since 2010, until McIntosh did in 2024.