Generational Swimming Talents Summer Mcintosh And Katie Ledecky Clash In Olympics Preview

In 1 of nan astir consequential non-Olympic races successful years, all-time swimming awesome Katie Ledecky could look an unprecedented situation Saturday from Canadian teen Summer McIntosh successful an arena nan American has owned for much than a decade.

The brace will compete successful nan 800-meter freestyle last of nan swimming world championships, successful a title that'll beryllium streamed unrecorded connected Peacock astatine 8:21 p.m. section clip successful Singapore (8:21 a.m. ET)

"This will beryllium nan biggest title of this century, men aliases women, from extracurricular of nan Olympic format," three-time golden medalist and NBC swimming expert Rowdy Gaines told NBC News. "I don't cognize really you tin get bigger than this."

Gaines called nan Ledecky nan top female swimmer of all-time and McIntosh nan champion modern performer, saying some judgments are "not moreover close."

The 28-year-old Ledecky has 14 Olympic medals connected her mantle astatine home, nine of them colored gold. McIntosh, 18, took home 3 golds and a metallic from successful Paris past year.

"Katie is nan top of each time, absolutely, and it's not moreover close," Gaines said. "(McIntosh) is world swimmer of nan twelvemonth astatine nan extremity of nan year, sloppy of what happens successful nan 800 (on Saturday). She's still nan world swimmer of nan twelvemonth by far, nobody's moreover close."

Both swimmers cruised done their qualifying heats Friday day to formally suffice for Saturday's final.

Ledecky will beryllium successful Lane 4 connected Saturday, pinch McIntosh successful 3 and Australia's Lani Pallister successful 5.

The grind of this agelong meet doesn't look to beryllium bothering McIntosh.

"Honestly, I felt a batch amended than I thought I was going to this morning," she said aft her 800 heat. "I've been recovering really well. I mean, we're connected Day 6? So I consciousness for illustration this really promising."

On nan statement successful this millennial vs. Gen Z conflict is Ledecky's decease grip connected nan 800 free. Her domination of nan title predates erstwhile Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's caller residency astatine 24 Sussex and erstwhile White House caretaker Barack Obama's 2nd term.

The Maryland autochthonal and niece of New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky took 800 golden astatine nan 2012 Olympics successful London, 2016 successful Rio, 2021 successful Tokyo and past summertime adjacent Paris.

She's nan only female to triumph nan aforesaid individual arena astatine 4 Olympics, successful immoderate sport. The only different swimmer to propulsion disconnected specified a four-peat was American fable Michael Phelps, who took nan 200 individual medley successful 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.

Ledecky has besides won nan 800 free six consecutive times astatine nan world championships making love backmost to 2013.

But Ledecky’s aerial of 800 invincibility was dented past twelvemonth erstwhile McIntosh, past conscionable 17 years old, touched nan wall first astatine at nan Southern Zone South Sectional Championships successful Orlando, Florida, connected Feb. 8.

McIntosh opted against swimming successful nan 800 successful France to ore connected different events arsenic she took golden successful 200 butterfly, 200 Individual Medley and 400 Individual Medley to go 1 of the breakout stars of past summer.

The Toronto autochthonal and girl of 1984 Canadian Olympic swimmer Jill Horstead is committed to swimming nan 800 successful Los Angeles and Saturday's scatter against Ledecky could service arsenic a tantalizing preview of that imaginable Olympics clash.

Ledecky has shown nary signs of slowing down. Earlier this week, she scooped up gold successful nan 1,500 free and a bronze successful nan 400 free won by McIntosh.

The Canadian has already bagged 3 world golds this week successful that 400 free, 200 IM and 200 fly.