Summer McIntosh wins gold in 400m IM, becomes only Canadian swimmer with 4 world titles

Summer McIntosh won her second gold medal and made Canadian history on Sunday at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

The 16-year-old from Toronto captured the world title in the women's 400-metre individual medley final for her fourth-career gold medal at worlds, the most by any Canadian swimmer.

McIntosh finished in four minutes 27.11 seconds, the third-fastest time in history. The Canadian came into the event holding the world record in the event (4:25.87) which she set in Toronto in April at national trials.

"Going into tonight I just wanted to see how hard I could push myself," McIntosh said.

American Katie Grimes, the silver medallist, finished more than four seconds behind McIntosh in 4:31.41. Australia's Jenna Forrester took bronze in 4:32.30.

WATCH | McIntosh cruises to 400m IM gold:

McIntosh seized the lead in the opening leg and won going away.

The win also means McIntosh repeated her historic double from last year's worlds in Budapest. She won the women's 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley to become the first Canadian swimmer to capture multiple gold medals at the same world championships.

McIntosh successfully defended her world title in the 200m butterfly on Thursday.

WATCH | CBC Sports' Devin Heroux profiles McIntosh:

Not long after the gruelling 400m IM race, McIntosh anchored Canada's women's 4x100m medley relay team to a bronze-medal win.

Kylie Masse, Sophie Angus, Maggie Mac Neil, and McIntosh finished the race in 3:54.12.

"Doing it together as a team, it means the world," McIntosh told CBC Sports' Devin Heroux.

Angus swam 1:06.2 in the breaststroke, second fastest since Annamay Pierse's Canadian record performance of 1:05.74 in July 2009.