NANTERRE – Not so long ago at her Ontario elementary school, Summer McIntosh and her peers would practice singing the Canadian national anthem in both English and French.
They would break it down into thirds.
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So when she stepped onto the medal stand at the Paris Olympics on Monday night after winning the 400-meter individual medley and "Oh Canada" began to play, that is exactly how the smiling teen sang — a portion in English, followed by a stretch in French and then English again.
“I still remember growing up every single day standing up at the beginning of class singing ‘Oh Canada,’" she fondly recalled of her schoolgirl days. “So now being able to do it at the Olympic Games, it's pretty surreal.”
McIntosh was an Olympian at 14
It marked a golden moment Monday night for one of the swimming world's bright young stars. Seemingly unfazed and unflappable at just 17, McIntosh insists her incredible calm comes largely from the fact “I have been doing this since I was 14.”
She made her Olympic debut at the delayed Tokyo Games. McIntosh didn't medal there, but she already has a silver and a gold a few years later in France.
McIntosh gains crucial experience each time she leaves the blocks and dives in, and she reminds herself to savor the memorable moments.
“I still feel like I’m just my 10-year-old self,” she said, “and I’m just trying to solidify all those dreams I had growing up as a kid. And I plan on being in this sport for as long as I can do it.”
McIntosh touched in 4 minutes, 27.71 seconds, dominating the field to capture her first gold in the 400 IM after a 400 freestyle silver Saturday on Day 1 at La Defense Arena. Not until the breaststroke leg could she gauge just how far ahead she was of the pack, realizing she had the Olympic title secured.
McIntosh comes from an Olympic family
Once McIntosh found her family during a victory lap, she stopped for a long group embrace. That included her mother, Jill Horstead, a Canadian swimmer at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
“They were saying how proud they are of me of course, but I know no matter what my result was going into the final tonight they would have been proud of me no matter what,” McIntosh said. “But just being able to give them a big group hug, it was very amazing.”
What events are next for Summer McIntosh?
McIntosh already made headlines in February with her 800 freestyle win over decorated American Katie Ledecky at a meet in Orlando, Florida, clocking a Canadian-record 8:11.39. McIntosh then set a world record of 4:24.38 in the 400 IM two months ago in her hometown of Toronto.
She tries not to put undue pressure on herself.
“It's always just about having fun along with pushing my body to its limits,” she said. “So there's definitely a lot of anticipation going into a race, but I wouldn't say there are necessarily nerves and there's no relief. I'm just trying to soak up every single moment I have at the Games.”
The Canadian flag draped around her shoulders and a sparkling medal around her neck, McIntosh tried to do just that.
“I just kept thinking to myself to try and savor the moment as much as possible because obviously these moments only come around every four years,” she said. “Just try to make Team Canada proud and kind of set the tone for the rest of the night.”
McIntosh will have many more chances to shine — and sing — with Canada and the entire world watching. She is competing in the 200 butterfly, an event she won at the world championships in both 2022 and '23, and the 200 IM.
McIntosh's teammates and competitors envision great things
Kylie Masse, McIntosh’s 28-year-old teammate, cherished the chance to watch her race.
“It’s incredible to see, to have an Olympic medal and to have the success that she’s had already is incredibly amazing," Masse said. “And having been in the sport for a number of years now I know the meaning of this and the significance of this. And to see her be able to just keep so calm and poised and to continue to achieve great things is truly an honor.”
That's the plan for McIntosh.
“Every single time I get to race on the world stage, I learn more and more about handling mentally and physically and emotionally and trying not to get too high or too low depending on my race results,” she said.
McIntosh is influencing the next generation of swimmers
Masse can already envision the next wave of Canadian swimmers coming up the ranks inspired by the success of McIntosh, who trains in Sarasota, Florida.
The Americans can also sense the magnitude of McIntosh's influence, with Emma Weyant noting McIntosh works out with her former Florida club team and “continues to do impressive things.”
“She means the world,” Masse said. "She’s an inspiration to everyone and I know to so many young swimmers in Canada. To be able to see her and see her success here on the international stage is knowing for them that they can dream big and continue to do whatever they put their mind to.”
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games