Canadian swimming superstar Summer McIntosh was untouchable at the Fort Lauderdale Open 2026 on Friday (1 May), following up her electric 400m freestyle win with an equally impressive encore in the women’s 200m freestyle.
Speeding towards the wall like an aquatic cheetah, the teenager from Toronto, Ontario, clocked 1:54.36 to set the second fastest time in the world this season – a time slower only than her own benchmark of 1:53.80 from March.
NCAA standout Anna Moesch finished second in a time of 1:56.55, followed by a resurgent Simone Manuel in 1:56.80. Katie Ledecky – the most decorated U.S. female swimmer in history – finished fourth in her first 400m freestyle race of the season in a time of 1:56.94.
Pushing an unmatchable pace from start, McIntosh built a sizable lead after the first two lengths of the pool, before consolidating that gap in the final 50 metres. She finished more than two seconds ahead of her nearest rival.
The win marked her second-consecutive victory against Ledecky, after the 14-time Olympic medallist beat McIntosh to set the fifth fastest time in history in the women’s 1500m freestyle on Wednesday (29 April).
French star Leon Marchand was also in action on Friday (1 May), leading from start to finish in the men’s 400m individual medley to earn a commanding victory in a time of 4:09.33.
Gretchen Walsh made plenty of waves as well, setting a new season’s best of 25.08 seconds in the women’s 50m butterfly.
More action is expected from the Fort Lauderdale Open on Saturday, 2 May.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/swimming-summer-mcintosh-statement-win-women-200m-freestyle-fort-lauderdale-open-2026
