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Canadians Summer McIntosh and Josh Liendo place second at U.S. Open

News –

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Canada’s Summer McIntosh was in the lead on the last split but couldn’ t hold off American world champion Katie Ledecky on the final length of the women’s 400-m freestyle which kicked off Thursday’s finals at the U.S. Open swimming competition.

Both McIntosh and Josh Liendo, two of Canada’s big stars this past summer at the world championships and Commonwealth Games, earned second place results after being edged at the finish.

Ledecky clocked a meet record 3:59.71 to nip the 16-year-old McIntosh second in 3:59.79 while Michaela Mattes of the U.S. was third in 4:09.53. Katrina Bellio of Mississauga, Ont., was seventh in 4:16.77.

McIntosh, who defeated Ledecky in the same distance at the World Cup in Toronto last month in the short course pool, was behind early on in the race. McIntosh was first at the 250-m split and the swimmers were in a dead heat at the 300-m mark before the showdown to the finish. It was only the third time in her career that McIntosh went under the four-minute mark.

It’s been a great 2022 for McIntosh, from Toronto, who burst on the international stage at the Tokyo Olympics last year.  At the FINA World Championships in June, she won gold in the 200-m butterfly, and the 400-m individual medley and captured silver in the 400-m freestyle in addition to a bronze in the 4×200-m freestyle relay. She also brought home six medals from the Commonwealth Games including two gold.

It was also a wild finish in the men’s 50-metre freestyle, as David Curtiss of the U.S. clocked 21.92 for the win. Liendo was with the American stroke for stroke and emerged in second at 21.99. Victor Alcara of Brazil was third in 22.11.

The 20-year-old Liendo, from Markham, Ont., won three medals at the world championships and four more at the Commonwealth Games.

Bellio was also seventh in the 800-m freestyle in 8:43.24

Eric Brown of Pointe-Claire, Que., was sixth in the 800-m free in 8:04.47

Competition continues through to Saturday.

Full results: All 2022 Toyota US Open Championships Results By OMEGA