Summer McIntosh, Gretchen Walsh open short course swimming worlds with world records

Canadian Summer McIntosh and American Gretchen Walsh each broke a world record on the first day of the world short course swimming championships in Budapest.

McIntosh, 18, broke the world record in the first final of the six-day meet in the 400m freestyle. She clocked 3 minutes, 50.25 seconds, crushing the record of 3:51.30 set by Li Bingjie of China in 2022.

Earlier in preliminary heats, Walsh went 24.02 in the 50m butterfly, taking 36 hundredths off Swede Therese Alshammar’s record from 2009.

Short course worlds are held in 25-meter pools rather than the 50-meter pools used at the Olympics and other major international meets.

SHORT COURSE WORLDS: Full Results | Broadcast Schedule

McIntosh, who won Paris Olympic gold in the 200m and 400m individual medleys and the 200m butterfly, could be named the Canadian Athlete of the Year across all sports later Tuesday.

Walsh previously broke the world record in the 100m butterfly in a 50-meter pool at the Olympic Trials in June. She took silver in the event in Paris behind countrywoman Torri Huske.

The U.S. roster for short course worlds includes Olympic gold medalists Walsh, Kate Douglass, Regan Smith and Lilly King.

Short course worlds continue with more finals Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET, live on Peacock.