By: Chloe Ong
On Monday night, 17-year-old Canadian swimming prodigy Summer McIntosh claimed her first Olympic gold medal in the challenging women’s 400-meter individual medley, finishing with a time of 4:27.71. This victory marks a significant milestone in McIntosh’s career, showcasing her dominance in the pool and her potential for future success.
According to the New York Times, American swimmers Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant took the silver and bronze medals, respectively, with times of 4:33.40 and 4:34.93. McIntosh is the world record-holder and two-time world champion in the 400-meter individual medley, so many considered her the favorite for the event at the Paris Olympics. While her victory was expected by many audience members, the large margin by which she won was quite exceptional.
After her race, sports writer Nicole Auerbach reported in the New York Times, “McIntosh was very calm and composed, having swum this event numerous times at major international meets, the Olympic stage did not intimidate her.” Her previous experience includes a notable performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where she finished fourth in the women’s 400 freestyle.
“I have been doing this since I was 14,” McIntosh reflected to the New York Times. “Every single time I get to race on the world stage, I learn more about handling it mentally, physically, and emotionally. I try not to get too high or too low depending on my race results.”
The gold medal is her second medal in these Games. Earlier, she earned a silver in the 400-meter freestyle, a race that included many impressive swimmers, including Australian Ariane Titmus and American Katie Ledecky. This final was one of the most-anticipated events of the Olympics with three swimmers who have all held the world record competing.
Growing up, McIntosh idolized legendary swimmers Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps. The New York Times revealed that she had a poster of Ledecky on her wall and named her cat “Mikey” after Phelps. Now, she is following in their footsteps, making her own mark on the Olympic stage.
Her victory in the 400 IM is Team Canada’s second gold medal of the Olympics, following Christa Deguchi’s win in women’s under-57 kilogram judo earlier on Monday. Looking ahead, McIntosh will also be a top contender in both the 200 IM and the 200 butterfly later in the Olympic Games.
As McIntosh continues to shine on the international stage, her achievements are not only an indication to her exceptional talent and hard work but also an inspiration to aspiring athletes around the world.