SINGAPORE — For Summer McIntosh of Canada, it’s one gold medal won at the swimming world championships with four to go.
McIntosh is aiming to win five gold medals in individual events at the worlds in Singapore, and the first one came Sunday in the 400-meter freestyle on the first of eight days in the pool.
Only legendary American Michael Phelps has ever won five individual medals in the worlds. He also did it at the Olympics.
McIntosh won but did not break her own world record, winning in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with bronze for American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49).
In the other early final Sunday, Lukas Martens of Germany won the men’s 400 free in 3:42.35, edging Sam Short of Australia who was .02 behind. Bronze went to Kim Woomin of South Korea in 3:42.60.
Martens is the defending Olympic champion and also holds the world record of 3:39.96.
McIntosh, who won three gold medals a year ago at the Paris Olympics, holds the world record in the 400 free — 3:54.18. She will face off again with Ledecky in the 800 free later in the meet, probably the most anticipated race in Singapore.
Though she holds the 400 free world record, McIntosh had failed to win gold in the event in the Olympics or previous world championships.
McIntosh will also be after gold in the 200- and 400-individual medleys, and the 200 butterfly.
Phelps is the only swimmer to have won five individual gold medals at a world championships.
The other two gold-medal events on Sunday are the men’s and women’s 4×100 freestyle relays.
