Canada's McIntosh wins gold in 400M IM for second medal at Paris 2024

PARIS — Summer McIntosh knew the gold medal was in her grasp before she touched the wall.

The 17-year-old swimmer became the first Canadian woman to win the 400-metre individual medley at the Olympic Games and did so in dominating fashion Monday in Paris.

"I was very happy to get the job done tonight," McIntosh said. "It was a goal of mine to stand on top of the podium and get the gold medal."

The 400 medley tests endurance and versatility across butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle in that order. McIntosh pushed off the wall for her freestyle leg two body lengths ahead of silver medallist Katie Grimes of the United States.

The Toronto teenager took control on the breaststroke leg — Grimes admitted after the morning heats that discipline was her weakest — to set up what amounted to a victory lap in freestyle.

"I couldn't really see anything until the breaststroke second 50-ish, but kind of looked around to make sure I was in a comfortable lead and definitely knew that I had the gold medal going into that last 100 metres," McIntosh said.

The temporary modular "Myrtha" pool at the sport and concert venue La Defense Arena had yet to produce a world record by the third day of swimming.

McIntosh's time of four minutes 27.71 seconds was well off her world record of 4:24.38 set during May's trials in her hometown Pan Am Sports Centre. But she beat Grimes by 5.69 seconds and bronze medallist Emma Weyant of the U.S. by 7.22.

After singing O Canada in both English and French, which she said was a holdover from learning that version in school, McIntosh was enveloped in a long hug at the edge of the pool deck by her parents Jill and Greg and sister Brooke, who handed her the Maple Leaf flag to drape around her shoulders.

They weren't in Tokyo for McIntosh's Olympic debut as a 14-year-old because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

McIntosh collected her second medal in Paris after silver in the 400-metre freestyle on opening night. In contrast to her subdued body language as she emerged from the pool Saturday, McIntosh grinned and waved from the pool deck Monday.

The two-time world champion was the heavy favourite. She denied relief was any part of her emotions upon winning Canada's 10th gold medal in Olympic swimming.

"Absolutely not," McIntosh stated. "It's always just about having fun, along with pushing my body to its limits. There's definitely a lot of anticipation going into a race, but I wouldn't say they're necessarily nerves, and there's no relief.

"I'm only just trying to soak up every single moment I have in the Games. I still feel like I'm just my 10-year-old self and I'm just trying to solidify all those dreams I had growing up as a kid."

McIntosh's poise beyond her years masks a fiery competitor, according to her teammate Mary-Sophie Harvey, who finished fourth in the 200-metre freestyle Monday.

"I remember in Tokyo she came fourth in the 400 free and she was so angry, and I loved it because I was like 'you are 14,'" Harvey recalled.

"I knew she was going to get on the podium at the next world (championship), the next year and she did. I was not even surprised."

While McIntosh is a contender across multiple races — she still has the 200-metre butterfly starting Wednesday and 200 medley later this week — the 400 medley is the perfect meshing of her skills, says her coach Brent Arckey.

"The 400 I.M. … kind of runs all the disciplines from speed to endurance in all four strokes, and then being able to transition between them and she's just excellent at all of that stuff, so it's right in her wheelhouse," Arckey said.

McIntosh was nine years old when she watched Kylie Masse win backstroke bronze in 2016 in Rio. Masse, a double silver medallist in Tokyo, watched McIntosh claim gold before qualifying for her third Olympic final.

"Having been in the sport for a number of years now, I know the meaning of this and the significance of this," Masse said. "It's incredible to see."

The 28-year-old Masse posted the fifth-fastest time and Calgary's Ingrid Wilm ranked sixth in 100-metre backstroke to advance to Tuesday's final.

Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., was just over three-tenths of a second off the podium in the 24-year-old's first Olympic final.

"Last year, I didn't even make it through the semifinals at the world championship," Harvey said. "My progression in the 200 free has been escalating quickly and I think it's not done yet. I know I want more."

McIntosh's ambitious schedule continues in Paris. The 2023 world champion in the 200-metre butterfly races prelims Wednesday with an eye to the final Thursday, when she could also join the 4x200 freestyle relay.

The 200-metre I.M. preliminaries Friday are followed by Saturday's final. McIntosh could wrap up swimming a leg of the medley relay Sunday.

"I try to inspire as many young kids as possible and I hope that they know if I can do it, they can do it too," McIntosh said. "I was once in their shoes watching the Rio Olympics and now I'm here eight years later."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.