Summer McIntosh breaks 200m butterfly world record

In a historic swim, 19-year-old Canadian star Summer McIntosh broke the longest-standing individual world record in women's swimming on Sunday night, setting a new mark in the 200-meter butterfly. The triple Olympic gold medalist touched the wall in 2 minutes, 1.65 seconds at the Canadian swim trials in Montreal, erasing a record many considered untouchable.

McIntosh eclipsed the previous record of 2:01.81 set by China's Liu Zige in October 2009. That mark was established during the so-called "supersuit era," months before high-tech polyurethane bodysuits were banned from global competition. McIntosh had been inching closer to the record, coming within 0.18 seconds of it with a time of 2:01.99 at last year's world championships.

The achievement was deeply emotional for the swimmer from Toronto. She described it as the one world record she had always dreamed of breaking since she was a child. After the race, she slammed her fists into the water in celebration as the home crowd erupted. Her parents, Jill and Greg, were poolside to witness the moment. Jill McIntosh, who raced the 200-meter butterfly for Canada at the 1984 Olympics, said her daughter was drawn to the record...