Five Canadian medal contenders to watch at world swimming championships

Canada is sending a powerhouse swimming squad to the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, with several top medal contenders hitting the pool when competition begins Saturday.

Here are five Canadian medal contenders to watch at the worlds:

Summer McIntosh

The 18-year-old set three world records and five Canadian records while qualifying in five events at the Canadian swim trials. The Toronto native became the first swimmer to break three different individual long-course world records in one meet since American Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Despite that, McIntosh believes she can be even faster at the world championships. She’s coming off a four-medal showing (three gold, one silver) at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where she became the first Canadian athlete to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games.

Josh Liendo

Liendo, 22, won silver in the men’s 100-metre butterfly in his Olympic debut in Paris last year. Now, the Toronto native looks to add to his world championship medal haul, which stands at four. He earned three medals at the 2022 worlds (one silver, two bronze) and another silver in 2023 in the 100 butterfly.

Ilya Kharun

The 20-year-old Montreal native was on the very same podium as Liendo, taking bronze in the 100 butterfly in Paris. But he also earned bronze in the 200 butterfly in his Olympic debut. At swim trials in Victoria, Kharun also got the better of Liendo in the 100 by 0.9 seconds. Kharun has seven short-course world championship medals (one gold, four silver, two bronze) but will be in search of his first world championship medal in Singapore.

Kylie Masse

The Lasalle, Ont., product has been a staple on Canada’s successful women’s program over the years, both individually and in relay events. Masse, 29, has amassed five Olympic medals (two silver, three bronze) and nine world championship medals (three gold, one silver, five bronze) over her career. Masse, who specializes in the backstroke, said she’s put “a little more focus” into the 50-metre event after winning at nationals.

Finlay Knox

Knox is slated to defend his world title after cruising to victory in the 200 individual medley at Canadian swim trials in one minute 57.25 seconds. The 24-year-old from Okotoks, Alta., outdid his time at the Paris Games by one-hundredth of a second at the trials, while leaving room to show even more at worlds with his 2024 world-title winning time being 1:56.64 and his national record of 1:56.07.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.