Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh, 17, clinched her first Olympic gold medal in the women’s 400-meter individual medley at the Paris 2024 Olympics on July 29, 2024. McIntosh dominated the competition with a winning time of 4:27.71, finishing an impressive 5.69 seconds ahead of American silver medalist Katie Grimes. This victory follows her silver medal in the 400m freestyle earlier in the Games.McIntosh’s performance has been described as ‘golden, glorious and devastatingly dominant’. The young swimmer, who is also the reigning world champion and world record holder in this event, expressed her joy, saying, ‘I’m super happy with this victory. I’m learning to handle the situation, mentally, physically, and emotionally’.The Paris Olympics have seen a surge of young talent in the pool. Romanian David Popovici, 19, secured gold in the men’s 200m freestyle. In an upset victory, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan won the women’s 200m freestyle with an Olympic record time of 1:53.27, defeating her compatriot and defending champion Ariarne Titmus. Italy’s Thomas Ceccon also shone, winning gold in the men’s 100m backstroke.McIntosh’s victory has inspired her teammates, with fellow Canadian swimmer Kyle Masse praising her as ‘an inspiration to young swimmers in Canada’. The young champion still has opportunities for more medals in the 200m individual medley and 200m butterfly events.
Key points
- Summer McIntosh, 17, wins gold in 400m individual medley at Paris Olympics.
- McIntosh’s winning time of 4:27.
- Other young swimmers also excelled, including Romania’s David Popovici and Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan.
- McIntosh has opportunities for more medals in upcoming events.
71 was 5.
69 seconds ahead of the silver medalist.
