By: Lauren Wu

On July 29, 2024 at the Paris Olympics, Summer McIntosh from Canada won her first ever medal at the Olympics, participating in the women’s Individual Medley (IM). She competed at the Paris La Defense Arena with other swimmers and placed first. McIntosh achieved a gold medal with American Katie Grimes earning silver and American Emma Weyant obtaining bronze.

McIntosh, who is the world record-holder and two-time world champion in the women’s IM, won gold with a time of four minutes and 27.71 seconds, Katie Grimes won a silver with a time of four minutes and 33.40 seconds, and Emma Weyant won bronze with a time of four minutes and 34.93 seconds. These were quite close to McIntosh’s world record of 4 minutes and 24.38 seconds, set at the Canadian trials in May.

It’s her second medal of the Paris Olympics so far, following a silver in the 400 meter freestyle on July 27, 2024 also in the Paris La Defense Arena, which also included Australian Ariarne Titmus taking gold and American Katie Ledecky taking bronze. The women’s 400 meter freestyle was one of the most-anticipated races of the entire Olympic Games, featuring three swimmers who had previously owned the world record in the event.

McIntosh said that she realized that she had a big lead at the beginning of the breaststroke, and at the end of it, she knew she was going to earn first place. “I have been doing this since I was 14,” McIntosh said. “Every single time I get to race on the world stage, I learn more and more about handling the race mentally and physically and emotionally. I try not to get too high or too low depending on my race results.” She’s swam this event so many times in major international meets that it didn’t faze her that she’d just swam (and won) it at an Olympics. McIntosh said she grew up idolizing Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps, both Olympic swimmers, and now, she is on the podium, just like them.

McIntosh earned the second gold for Team Canada at the Paris Olympics after Christa Deguchi won gold earlier that day in the women’s under-57 kilogram judo. On August 1st, 2024, McIntosh will swim in the final round of the 200 meter butterfly.

Link-https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5665678/2024/07/29/summer-mcintosh-olympic-swimming-canada-gold-medal/?source=nyt_sports
Link-https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/mcintosh-soaking-up-the-moment-after-first-olympic-gold-199022