Summer McIntosh beat Katie Ledecky in a Pro Series swim meet in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. on Friday, breaking a near decade-long win streak that Ledecky held in races on U.S. soil. McIntosh, 16, narrowly prevailed over Ledecky in the 200-meter freestyle by a margin of .83 seconds, with a total time of one minute and 54.13 seconds.
For Ledecky, the loss marked her first in a freestyle long course race of 200 meters or longer held in the United States since 2014, when she lost to fellow countrywoman Allison Schmitt. In the nine years that have followed, Ledecky has continued to build upon one of the most distinguished careers ever for a woman swimmer -- one that includes seven Olympic gold medals, 19 world championship golds and multiple world records.
"She's an amazing racer and I've always looked up to her," McIntosh said in a post-race interview. "She's the greatest freestyler of all time, and to be able to race her is always an amazing experience and I've always learned so much."
McIntosh's victory marked one major accomplishment for her on a day in which she also set a new world junior record in the 200-meter butterfly. McIntosh has been a rising star in women's swimming, an ascent that began when she competed in the Tokyo Olympics as the youngest member of the Canadian national team at 14 years old.
