400 m freestyle, women

What to remember

Victoria, Canadian Trials, June 7, 2025: Summer McIntosh swam the 400 m freestyle in 3 min 54.18 s. The swim opened a string of records for her at those trials, which went on with the 200 m and 400 m individual medley. On the men's side, the long course mark belongs to Germany's Lukas Märtens.

The 400 metres freestyle covers eight lengths of an Olympic pool. The men's event first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1908 and the women's in 1924. Men and women have both raced it at the world championships since 1973.

The distance has a special place in the Canadian's career. At the 2020 Games in Tokyo she was, at age 14, the youngest member of the Canadian team, and her fourth-place finish in the 400 metre freestyle brought her international recognition. She also holds the short course world record in the event.