Canada’s McIntosh strikes triple gold in Paris

PARIS – It’s decidedly been Summer’s Games.

Summer McIntosh is nan first Canadian jock to triumph 3 golden medals successful an Olympic Games.

The Toronto teen completed her chapeau instrumentality successful Paris connected Saturday successful nan 200-metre individual medley successful Olympic-record time.

Victories successful 200-metre butterfly, besides an Olympic record, and 400-metre medley earlier successful nan meet put McIntosh successful a Canadian triple golden nine of one.

Having conscionable taken Canadian athletics into caller territory astatine La Defense Arena, nan 17-year-old wasn’t fresh to contemplate her spot successful it.

“No, I mean there’s been truthful galore group earlier me, that person led nan measurement and inspired maine to beryllium wherever I americium coming and I really beryllium a batch of that to them,” McIntosh said. “I’m conscionable proud of what I’ve been capable to execute for Team Canada.”

Her 4 medals, including a 400-metre freestyle metallic connected opening night, matched teammate Penny Oleksiak’s 4 won successful 2016 successful Rio.

The quality is McIntosh went four-for-four successful individual events. Oleksiak accrued freestyle golden and butterfly metallic and 2 relay bronze successful Rio.

But McIntosh said watching Oleksiak and Kylie Masse, who won her 4th backstroke badge successful Paris, aquatics successful Rio connected tv arsenic a nine-year-old inspired her.

McIntosh could amended nan Summer Games grounds successful Sunday’s medley relay. A 5th badge would adjacent speedskater Cindy Klassen’s 5 successful Turin, Italy successful 2006.

“Done pinch nan individual events, truthful I tin benignant of return a heavy breath. After I touch wall for nan relay tomorrow, I’ll astir apt beryllium capable to commencement celebrating more,” McIntosh said. “I effort and enactment arsenic low-key arsenic imaginable and not overthink what I’ve done.

“Lots of clip for celebrating erstwhile I get backmost to Canada. Once I get back, I scheme for a bunch of my Floridian friends and Toronto friends to spell retired to my cottage. I’ve done it each twelvemonth for 10 years now. I’m conscionable excited to get backmost connected Canadian ground.”

Poised and laser-focused passim nan meet, location was a hint of ngo accomplished successful nan young swimmer’s demeanour Saturday. With a Canadian emblem draped astir her shoulders again, McIntosh softly high-fived group on nan excavation platform betwixt photos.

She executed retired of nan excavation arsenic good arsenic successful it. Her eager aquatics schedule required an arsenic eager betterment scheme betwixt races, which McIntosh said featured chiefly eating and sleeping a lot.

Saturday’s last was her 12th title successful 8 days.

“I’m conscionable truthful proud of myself for really I retrieve and negociate these events because it’s a lot,” McIntosh admitted. “Throughout this week, decidedly coming has astir apt been nan hardest because I cognize it’s Day 8 of a aquatics meet and I deliberation I’ve only done 7 days of swimming before.

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“It conscionable comes backmost to mentally being fresh because I cognize I’m arsenic physically prepared arsenic possible. Going into this final, I tried to person a really large nap before. I was capable to get an other 3 hours because I haven’t been sleeping amazing.”

In conscionable her 2nd clip racing nan 200 I.M. internationally, McIntosh led aft nan backstroke leg, but lagged down Alex Walsh of nan U.S. astatine nan move from breaststroke to freestyle.

The Canadian overtook Walsh connected nan last strokes coming home, pinch nan American out-touched by teammate Kate Douglass for nan metallic medal.

Walsh was disqualified for an forbidden move connected nan backstroke to breaststroke transition, truthful nan bronze went to Australian Kaylee McKeown.

“I knew aft nan 150 people I mightiness beryllium behind,” McIntosh said. “I couldn’t really spot wherever I was, but I knew that I tin conscionable bring it location arsenic champion arsenic imaginable because I do aquatics nan 400 I.M. and I cognize really to activity that endurance and speedy transitions. I knew it was going to beryllium a adjacent race.”

McIntosh wasn’t capable to person parents Jill and Greg aliases sister Brooke pinch her successful Tokyo 3 years agone erstwhile she made her Olympic debut astatine 14 because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

The McIntosh family made up for mislaid clip successful Paris.

“Now to stock that infinitesimal pinch them was beautiful incredible, and to do it for a 4th clip connected nan triumph ceremonial was beautiful surreal,” McIntosh said.

This study by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.