Summer McIntosh beats Katie Ledecky to claim world title in women's 400m freestyle

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-metre 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.

The 18-year-old McIntosh, from Toronto, extended her Canadian-best career gold medal total to five at long-course worlds, and with her ninth medal overall moved into a tie with Kylie Masse and Penny Oleksiak for most ever by a Canadian.

McIntosh won but did not break her own world record, winning in three minutes 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with a late charge to leave American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49) with bronze.

Toronto's Summer McIntosh wins 1st worlds 400m gold medal

A year ago in the Olympics, Ledecky also took bronze in the 400. McIntosh was the silver medallist with gold for Australian Ariarne Titmus.

Titmus is taking a year off and did not swim and has since lost her world record in the event to McIntosh.

Watch live coverage of every race at the swimming worlds on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, with finals beginning at 7 a.m. ET each day. The full competition schedule is available here.

For Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medallist, it was her 27th medal in the world championships in an astonishing career.

She won her first Olympic gold in 2012 in London, and then started adding world championship medals beginning in Barcelona in 2013.

About 25 minutes after winning the 400, McIntosh came back and qualified first in the 200 individual medley, clocking 2:07.39.

Canada's