PARIS – Teenager Summer McIntosh earned her first career medal and Canada’s first podium finish of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by finishing second in the women’s 400-metre freestyle Saturday.
The thrilling race before a roaring crowd at the Paris La Défense Arena was a two-way battle between the 17-year-old from Toronto and Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, the world-record holder and defending Olympic champion.
Titmus won gold in 3:57.49 with McIntosh taking silver in 3:58.37. American swimming legend Katie Ledecky was third in 4:00.86.
“It’s pretty surreal,” said McIntosh. “Going into tonight I really just wanted to put my best foot forward and race as hard as I could and be happy with the result.
“An Olympics is always pretty nerve wracking. There’s a lot of anticipation going into each race, so I’m kind of learning how to deal with that.”
McIntosh had little time to celebrate, returning to the pool about 30 minutes later to swim the third leg of the Canadian women’s 4×100-m freestyle relay that finished fourth.
“I tried to appreciate the moment as much as I could,” she said about the medal ceremony. “Olympic medals don’t come around too often. Then I kind of flipped the switch and got back into racing mode.”
The men’s 4×100-metre relay team finished sixth.
In other races on the opening day of Olympic swimming, defending Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil of London, Ont., advanced to Sunday’s final of the 100-m butterfly. Mac Neil was fourth in the semifinals, her time of 56.55 seconds leaving her tied with Germany’s Angelina Koehler.
Mac Neil also led off the relay with a new 100 freestyle personal best of 53.31.
“I made it back and that was the point,” said Mac Neil.
American Gretchen Walsh had the fastest time in the semifinals, swimming an Olympic record 55.38 seconds. Her teammate Torri Huske was second in 56.00 while China’s Yufei Zhang was third in 56.15.
Mac Neil is looking to become the first woman to repeat as the Olympic 100-fly champion.
McIntosh dedicated her medal to her family, coach Brent Arckey, friends and teammates, but singled her mother Jill, a former Olympic swimmer, for special praise.
“My mom has had such a huge impact on me,” she said. “She’s made so many sacrifices.”
McIntosh, who now lives in Florida and trains with the Sarasota Sharks, finished fourth in the 400 freestyle as a 14-year-old at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She becomes the second Canadian to earn an Olympic medal in the event joining Shannon Smith who took bronze at the Montreal 1976 Olympics.
The former world record holder is expected to swim three more individual events beginning with the 400-m individual medley Monday, which she holds the world record; the 200-m butterfly on Thursday, and the 200-IM Saturday.
In the relay, McIntosh joined Mac Neil, Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., and Penny Oleksiak of Toronto to finish fourth in 3:32.99.
Australia took gold in 3:28.92. The U.S. was second in in 3:30.20 and China third in 3:30.30.
In the men’s relay, Josh Liendo of Toronto, Yuri Kisil of Calgary, Finlay Knox of Okotoks, Alta., and Toronto’s Javier Acevedo finished in 3:12.18.
The United States won in 3:09.28 followed by Australia 3:10.35 and Italy in 3:10.70.
CBC/Radio-Canada is the exclusive Canadian broadcast and streaming home of the Games. In English, CBC’s comprehensive coverage of Paris 2024 will feature live broadcasts on CBC and partner networks TSN and Sportsnet, CBC Gem, CBC’s Paris 2024 website and the CBC Paris 2024 app for Android and iOS devices. ICI TÉLÉ, ICI TOU.TV and RDS will offer daily French coverage to follow the decisive moments and medals won by Canadian athletes.