Double gold: McIntosh breaks 2nd world short course swim record, Kharun sets championship mark
Fellow Canadians Wilm, Masse, Harvey and Pickrem advance to respective finals
Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh has her second world record of the week at the world short course championships.
The reigning Olympic and world champion covered the women's 200-metre butterfly in one minute 59.32 seconds for the gold medal over Regan Smith (2:01.00) of the United States on Thursday in Budapest, Hungary. Australian Elizabeth Dekkers collected bronze in 2:02.91.
Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain held the previous world mark of 1:59.61 since Dec. 3, 2014.
On Tuesday, McIntosh posted a world-record time (3:50.25) in the women's 400 freestyle for her first individual world short course gold.
McIntosh entered Thursday's final fresh off a world junior mark of 2:01.96 to win her morning heat.
"After this morning I definitely felt it was a possibility to break the two-minute barrier and get the world record," McIntosh told Devin Heroux of CBC Sports, adding she'll buy "extra [Christmas] gifts for my friends and family" with another $25,000 US in her pocket for a world-record performance."
The Toronto athlete now boasts 14 medals combined at short course (25m pool) and long course (50m) worlds.
WATCH | McIntosh rules women's 200m butterfly final in Budapest:
After training regularly through the fall in Florida, she quickly demonstrated world record form in Hungary.
"Anytime I have a great meet like this, my goal when I [return] to training is to keep pushing forward," McIntosh said. "It's only a bigger motivator to keep trying to get better. Super excited to see all my hard work pay off."
Earlier this week, she was recipient of the Northern Star Award as Canada's athlete of the year (formerly the Lou Marsh Trophy), with media members from across Canada voting for the annual Toronto Star award.
In the men's 200 fly, Montreal native Ilya Kharun set a championship record and lowered his national mark to 1:48.24 for his first individual world title, beating Alberto Razzetti of Italy, who touched the wall in 1:48.64. Poland's Krzysztof Chmielewski took bronze (1:49.26).
'Surreal feeling' for Kharun
At 2022 short course worlds, Kharun clocked 1:50.86 in the 200 butterfly.
"It's a surreal feeling," he told Heroux. "I think [a win] was definitely coming [after placing] third at the [Paris] Olympics [this past summer]. Not the same opponents here, but I knew I had a chance to get first."
The 19-year-old Kharun won silver in the men's 50 butterfly Wednesday before helping the Canadian mixed 4x50m relay team to a silver-medal finish.
"We are a butterfly nation," declared CBC Sports analyst Brittany MacLean. "It's our greatest strength [in the pool]."
WATCH | Kharun lowers his Canadian mark in men's 200m butterfly:
With nine medals — three gold, two silver, four bronze — Canada is second to the U.S., which has 18 (9-6-3) midway through the six-day event.
Elsewhere, Ingrid Wilm of Calgary will try to collect a fourth medal at these championships on Friday at 12:04 p.m. ET in the women's 50 backstroke final.
She and Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., qualified third and fourth in 25.81 and 25.98 seconds, respectively.
Wilm, 26, began her podium push Tuesday with bronze in the 100 freestyle relay and doubled up Wednesday in the mixed 4x50 medley relay (silver) and 100 backstroke (bronze).
"To go 25.81, such a big drop in my best time [of 25.98], makes me confident to see what I could do [Friday] or [later in the week] if I get a chance in the medley relay," she said.
For Masse, she will compete for a second medal in Budapest after capturing silver in the mixed 4x50 medley relay with Wilm, Kharun and Finlay Knox.
"I'm definitely taking on a lighter load [from] previous years," said Masse, "so it's nice to focus on the events I have, and the relays, and trying to enjoy the whole experience."
Knox, from Okotoks, Alta., missed qualifying for the men's 50 back final by 15-100ths of a second but set his second Canadian record of the week. His time of 23.03 is 2-100ths faster than semi-retired Javier Acevedo at short course worlds two years ago.
On Tuesday, Knox was a bronze medallist in the 200 medley in national record time.
WATCH | Devin Heroux and Brittany MacLean recap Day 3 of short course worlds:
'I didn't expect to go this fast'
Meanwhile, Mary-Sophie Harvey and Sydney Pickrem advanced to the women's 100 medley final on Friday at 12:51 p.m.
Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., qualified third behind Americans Gretchen Walsh (world record 55.71) and Kate Douglass (56.88). Her time of 57.19 lowered the 57.80 national mark held by Kayla Sanchez since Dec. 21, 2018.
"I didn't expect to go that fast," said a shocked Harvey. "I'm really pleased. Now it's time to recover and do the same thing tomorrow."
Harvey earned her first international individual medal at a world championship event or Olympics with bronze in the women's 400 freestyle on Tuesday.
Pickrem fought her way to the wall in 58.47 to grab the eighth and last qualifying spot for the final by 8-100ths over Ellen Walshe of Ireland.
At long course worlds in February, the 27-year-old captured a silver medal in Doha, Qatar, her fifth podium finish at the event and first since 2019.
"Where I'm at in my swimming career," Pickrem said, "it's just fun to race and enjoy it. To get another swim tomorrow, I'm happy."
Pickrem, a full-time coach with the West Virginia University swimming and diving program, is a dual American-Canadian citizen who was born in Florida and whose family is from Halifax.
WATCH | Full replay coverage of Thursday's event finals from Hungary:
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