Summer McIntosh, the 19-year-old swimming phenom from Toronto, has withdrawn from the remainder of the 2026 Canadian swimming trials in Montreal due to an undisclosed illness, just two days after breaking the longest-standing women's world record in the 200-metre butterfly.
Record-breaking performance followed by sudden withdrawal
On Sunday, McIntosh shattered the 200-metre butterfly world record with a time of 2 minutes 1.65 seconds in the preliminary race, lowering the previous mark of 2:01.81 set by China's Liu Zige in 2009. That record had stood for 17 years, making it the oldest women's long-course world record. McIntosh described it as the one world record she had always dreamed of as a child.
However, on Tuesday, she announced her withdrawal from all remaining events after consulting with her coach Bob Bowman and Swimming Canada's medical team. McIntosh stated that she started feeling ill on Monday morning and, despite hoping to continue racing, decided that scratching from the competition was the right course of action.
McIntosh and coach prioritize health
“I’m so sorry, but on the advice of my doctors and coach, I’ve made the difficult decision to scratch from my remaining events at the 2026 Canadian Trials,” McIntosh said in a statement. “I started feeling ill this morning and while I hoped I’d be able to keep racing, this is the right decision.”
She expressed gratitude for the experience and disappointment at not being able to continue in front of the crowds, but said her focus is now on recovering to represent Canada at the Pan Pacific Championships, scheduled for Aug. 12-15 in Irvine, Calif.
Swimming Canada's high-performance director John Atkinson confirmed the decision was made with full support from the organization. “Summer came to Montreal with clear performance objectives and she leaves having delivered another memorable moment for Canadian swimming fans,” Atkinson said. “After ongoing discussions with Bob, our medical team and Summer, the decision was made with Swimming Canada’s full support that this is the best course of action. This allows her to recover from illness, protect her health and return to training as quickly as possible.”
Olympic star looks ahead
McIntosh, who won three gold medals and one silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will now focus on training for the Pan Pacific Championships. Her coach Bob Bowman, known for coaching Michael Phelps, was part of the consultations. Atkinson added that stepping away from competition is never easy, but this decision puts McIntosh in the strongest position for the remainder of the season.
