By: Coco Xu

Summer McIntosh, Canada’s 17-year-old swimming prodigy, won her first Olympic gold medal in the womens’ 400-meter individual medley (IM) on July 29, 2024 during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Spectators cheered as she finished at just 4:27:71. Americans Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant earned silver and bronze, respectively, clocking in at 4:33:40 and 4:34:93.

But that’s not it. On August 1, McIntosh claimed her second gold medal this year in the 200-meter butterfly, becoming the first Canadian swimmer to earn multiple Olympic gold medals.

McIntosh greeted her smashing success with a face of surprising calmness. “I have been doing this since I was 14,” McIntosh told reporters. “Every single time I get to race on the world stage, I learned more and more about handling (it) mentally and physically and emotionally.”

McIntosh was born on August 18, 2006, in Toronto, Canada, and has been swimming competitively since she was 8 years old. One of the most successful swimmers of all time, she has set countless records and won multiple gold medals. Her debut in the Olympics was during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she finished fourth in the 400-meter free.

McIntosh says that Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps, two renowned American Olympic swimmers, have been her longtime childhood idols. She hangs a poster of Ledecky in her room. Her cat, Mikey, is named after Phelps. And now she stands proudly on the Olympic stage, just like them.

McIntosh’s victory serves as a beacon of inspiration for millions of young aspiring swimmers. “For so many young swimmers in Canada to be able to see her and see her success here on the international stage,” said her teammate Kylie Masse. “(they’ll know) that they can dream big and continue to do whatever they put their mind to.”

On August 2, 2024, McIntosh participated in the heats and semifinals of the 200-meter IM, finishing first in the heats and second in the semifinals. She is set to compete in the finals on August 3.