Summer McIntosh wins 3rd gold medal with another world-record performance at short course swim worlds

Summer McIntosh set her third world record and claimed a third gold medal at the world short course swim championships on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.

The 18-year-old Canadian won the women's 400-metre individual medley final in four minutes, 15.48 seconds, smashing the previous record by more than three seconds.

The previous mark was 4:18.94, set by Spain's Mireia Belmonte in August of 2017.

"It was super surreal. The crowd was extra energetic tonight," said McIntosh after four other records were set earlier in the day. "There's a lot more people in the stands so feeding off that energy going into the final was a really fun way to do it.

"I knew it was going to be one of the toughest world records to break."

American Katie Grimes finished 4.66 seconds behind McIntosh to claim silver, while bronze-medallist Abbie Wood of Great Britain was 8.66 seconds off the Canadian's time.

WATCH | McIntosh smashes world record in 400m IM final:

Mary-Sophie Harvey, of Trois-Rivières, Que., finished 10.66 seconds behind her Canadian teammate to earn a fourth-place result.

Toronto's McIntosh set new world-record times earlier this week at the Duna Arena, claiming gold in both the women's 200m butterfly (1:59.32) and in the the women's 400m freestyle (3:50.25).

"It's so validating," McIntosh told CBC Sports reporter Devin Heroux. 

"Nerves are normal before a race, that just means you care. But I really like to channel those nerves and push them into my race. And now that being my sixth world record is pretty crazy. "

McIntosh turns her focus to the 200 backstroke — a new addition to her international program — as action wraps up Sunday.

WATCH | McIntosh takes 6th world record in stride:

Harvey would eventually win a medal on Saturday as she was part of the Canadian mixed 4x100m medley relay team that claimed bronze.