Canada’s Tierney just misses podium as McIntosh sets up showdown with Ledecky

By Canadian Press on August 1, 2025.

SINGAPORE — Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney finished fourth in the men’s 200-metre backstroke at the world swimming championships on Friday.

Tierney finished with a time of one minute 55.09 seconds, 47 hundredths shy of the podium.

Hungary’s Hubert Kós won gold in 1:53.19, followed by South Africa’s Pieter Coetze (1:53.36) and France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (1:54.62).

Tierney broke the Canadian record twice — in the heats (1:55.17) and again in the semifinal (1:55.03) — to qualify for the final.

Canada has won six medals at the world aquatics championships — five in swimming and one in high diving.

Summer McIntosh has struck gold in all three of her events — the 400 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 200 butterfly.

She returned to the pool Friday for the 800 freestyle heats, qualifying for Saturday’s final and a showdown with reigning Olympic champion Katie Ledecky of the United States.

McIntosh won her heat in 8:19.88, the third-fastest time overall behind Australia’s Lani Pallister (8:17.06) and Ledecky (8:14.62), who advanced from the final heat.

The 18-year-old from Toronto is chasing five individual titles — a feat only U.S. great Michael Phelps has achieved at a single world championship.