Summer McIntosh wins first gold medal at worlds in her quest for five

Canada’s Summer McIntosh won gold in the 400m freestyle at the world swim championships, her first of a potential five individual titles, matching a feat only Phelps has achieved.

For Summer McIntosh of Canada, it’s one gold medal won at the swimming world championships with four to go.

McIntosh is aiming to win five gold medals in individual events at the worlds in Singapore, and the first one came Sunday in the 400-metre freestyle on the first of eight days in the pool.

Only legendary American Michael Phelps has ever won five individual medals in the worlds. He also did it at the Olympics.

The 18-year-old McIntosh, from Toronto, extended her Canadian-best career gold medal total to five at long-course worlds, and with her ninth medal overall moved into a tie with Kylie Masse and Penny Oleksiak for most ever by a Canadian.

McIntosh won but did not break her own world record, winning in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with a late charge to leave American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49) with bronze.

A year ago in the Olympics, Ledecky also took bronze in the 400. McIntosh was the silver medalist with gold for Australian Ariarne Titmus of Australia.

Titmus is taking a year off and did not swim and has since lost her world record in the event to McIntosh.

For Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medallist, it was her 27th medal in the world championships in an astonishing career.