McIntosh breaks final women's 'super-suit' world record in 200m butterfly

Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh has shattered the final women's world record from the era of 'super-suits,' setting a new global benchmark in the 200m butterfly at a qualifying event in Montreal. Her time of 2:01.65 eclipses the previous record of 2:01.81, which had stood since 2009, set by China's Zige Liu.

McIntosh, already the reigning Olympic and world champion in the event, built her record-breaking performance on a blistering final 100 meters. While she was trailing the pace of Liu's record by 13 centésimas at the halfway mark, the 19-year-old Canadian surged in the final lap, improving on Liu's split time by 47 centésimas.

Despite a slight dip in pace in the final 50 meters, McIntosh's overall speed was enough to break the long-standing record. This achievement marks the last significant world record from the 'super-suit' era, referring to the now-banned polyurethane swimsuits that led to a flurry of broken records over a decade ago.

With this new world record in the 200m butterfly, Summer McIntosh now holds a total of four world records. She previously set new benchmarks in the 400m freestyle and in both the 200m and 400m individual medleys, solidifying her dominance in women's swimming.