When the Canadian swimmers gathered in Caen forward of the Olympics, they soaked within the historical past round them within the French port metropolis, and talked about making some historical past of their very own.
And go away a mark they did, as Canada completed with eight medals within the pool. It was the perfect end in a non-boycotted Olympic Games since 1976.
Seventeen-year-old sensation Summer McIntosh, accountable for half of these medals, grew to become the primary Canadian to earn three golds at one Olympic Games — etching her identify in historical past.
Ilya Kharun and Josh Liendo grew to become the primary Canadian males to get on the rostrum since 2012, with Kharun incomes two bronze and Liendo a silver.
Kylie Masse, a job mannequin for so many swimmers on this workforce and a key half of this system’s breakthrough in Rio in 2016, additionally received her fifth-career Olympic medal. A bronze within the 200-metre backstroke made Masse the primary Canadian swimmer to medal in three consecutive Games.
WATCH | Masse earns fifth profession Olympic medal:
Another day, one other medal in swimming. Kylie Masse earns her fifth profession Olympic medal with bronze in 200m backstroke.
They make up what Swimming Canada nationwide workforce coach and excessive efficiency director, John Atkinson, calls a “golden age” within the pool.
Atkinson sees a bright future as this system seems to be forward to Los Angeles 2028, when the Olympics will return to North America and swimmers will compete below the bright lights of SoFi Stadium, dwelling of the NFL’s LA Chargers and LA Rams. More than 35,000 folks will probably be in a position to pack into that area to watch Olympic swimming.
“You look at the age of [McIntosh], 17. She’ll be 21 in LA,” Atkinson advised CBC’s Asha Tomlinson on the pool deck on Saturday, the ultimate day of swimming competitors.
“[Liendo], he’ll be 25 in LA. [Kharun] will be 23. They’re the medallists and there’s a lot of other younger athletes who are all going to still be around and racing in LA.”
On the pool deck inside Paris’ La Défense Arena, veteran CBC swimming analyst Byron MacDonald mentioned the sentiment from delegations world wide was that Canada had one of the perfect swimming meets of any nation on the Olympics.
‘A generational expertise’
That was led by McIntosh, who MacDonald describes as a “generational talent.”
“What happens is it pulls up the rest of your program as well and then you start winning more medals, like Canada did at this Olympic Games,” mentioned MacDonald, additionally coaches the University of Toronto’s swim program.
“It builds on itself. And you know what? It’s nice to walk amongst the leading swimming nations in the world like the United States, like the Aussies, and have them say, ‘Wow, you guys are doing a great job.'”
WATCH |Â McIntosh’s inspiring efficiency solely the start:
Summer McIntosh’s run at Paris 2024 ended with 4 medals — together with three gold — and a tie for a Canadian file on the Summer Games. The teenager has already impressed her fellow athletes, and analysts say her profession is way from over.
McIntosh — who will rejoice her 18th birthday on Aug. 18 — advised reporters at a press convention in Paris on Monday that what she’d completed hadn’t fairly sunk in but.
She’ll head again to Canada on Tuesday, and plans to loosen up the best way most 17-year-olds may: by going buying, hanging out along with her associates and spending time with household.
While McIntosh plans to take her thoughts off swimming for a couple of weeks, subsequent up for her is heading again to faculty — she’s nonetheless received highschool to end — and again to the Sarasota Sharks, this system she trains with in Florida along with her coach, Brent Arckey.
College is on the horizon, however The Associated Press reported that McIntosh will not be swimming for an NCAA program within the United States, as her household seems to be for a bit extra flexibility in her coaching and meet schedule.
Though the size and significance of what McIntosh has completed may not sink in till she’s again on Canadian soil, there is no doubt McIntosh is a famous person. Anyone who did not already know that actually is aware of that now.
Asked if she is aware of how a lot her life has modified, McIntosh mentioned that is not a focus for her.
“Of course, I appreciate the support and the attention is awesome, it just shows how much love and passion we have as a nation,” she mentioned.
“But for me, I mean, the reason I’m doing this is just because I have so much love for the sport and since a young age, I’ve always had a passion for it. That’s why I’ve done it and that’s why I’ll continue to do it.”
Striving for extra
There will probably be 4 years to construct into the Olympics in LA. It will probably be a full cycle between Summer Games, which did not occur between the delayed-Tokyo Olympics and Paris.
Some swimmers on the Canadian workforce will not be in LA. Kelsey Wog, who simply competed in her second Olympics, advised reporters that Paris could be her final one.
Others, like 23-year-old Finlay Knox, plan to work towards 2028.
“If it does take place in a massive stadium like [SoFi] and there’s thousands of people watching, I want to be a part of that,” Knox mentioned in regards to the prospect of competing in LA. “Hopefully I can progress from where I was this Games and go bigger.”
For McIntosh, it’s going to be 4 years to watch her development within the pool.
“I think she will get even better, which means she’s going to get faster, which means we might see world records there, not just gold medals,” MacDonald mentioned.
“And she might even get to the point where she adds another event to her program.”
MacDonald expects some of her largest rivals in Paris could have moved on by 2028. He would not see anybody who threatens her dominance within the pool.
WATCH | McIntosh fields questions from followers:
The three-time gold medallist, Summer McIntosh, is coming to the Flight Deck to reply a couple of fan questions.
“At this point, Summer’s biggest competition is Summer,” he mentioned. “Right now, I don’t know if in three or four years from now, there’s anybody that’s going to be able to touch her. That’s how good this young woman is.”
Four years is a very long time within the swimming world, and McIntosh’s subsequent competitor is perhaps somebody who hasn’t even been recognized but.
She was requested on Sunday by The Canadian Press whether or not it’d really feel daunting to replicate, and even surpass, what she’s performed at these Games.
Not in any respect, the teenager mentioned.
“I’m always striving for more and I always want more, and I think that’s what keeps me in the sport is the job is not finished,” she mentioned.
“I have so much left I want to accomplish. I’m only 17. I have many more years in the sport, however long I want to go.”
