What happens when American swimming legend Katie Ledecky, Australian Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and Canada鈥檚 16-year-old world-record holder all gear up to race in the 400-metre freestyle at the world aquatics championships, one year ahead of the Paris Olympics?
The swim universe gets very excited.
So much so that Swimming World magazine calls Sunday鈥檚 race 鈥渢he most anticipated and tantalizing eight laps in the history of women鈥檚 swimming.鈥
But according to Summer McIntosh, the 海角社区官网teen at the centre of all that hype, it isn鈥檛 even the event she鈥檚 looking forward to the most in Fukuoka, Japan.
鈥淥bviously, I鈥檓 really excited. I wouldn鈥檛 say I鈥檓 more excited for that race than the others,鈥 McIntosh said. 鈥淚 mean, to race alongside all those amazing swimmers, I鈥檓 really looking forward to it. But at the end of the day, it is just another race. No matter the outcome, I鈥檓 just going to be hoping to learn from it and continue to grow and improve.鈥
The last time McIntosh demonstrated that ability to grow and improve, she set world records in the 400-metre freestyle and 400 medley and junior world standards in five events 鈥 including the 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle and 200 medley. That was in the spring at the Canadian trials in Toronto, where she essentially raced against herself and the clock with no one else close.
In what鈥檚 viewed as a dress rehearsal for the Paris Games, the swim program starts Sunday at the championship pool in Fukuoka. McIntosh will be racing against some of the fastest women in history 鈥 including Titmus and Ledecky, the previous two world-record holders in the 400 free. The 400 medley, McIntosh鈥檚 other world-record event, is slated for July 30, the final day of competition. In between, she鈥檒l also be a medal favourite in the 200 butterfly and 200 free, and swim in team relays.
鈥淪he鈥檚 very dedicated, very determined,鈥 said John Atkinson, Swimming Canada鈥檚 high-performance director. 鈥淚鈥檓 not putting a ceiling on what she can actually do.鈥
Swimming so many races 鈥 heats (in the 200-metre events), semifinals and finals 鈥 is a gruelling undertaking, but McIntosh has been training for this for months with coach Brent Arckey at the Sarasota Sharks鈥 base in Florida.
鈥淭he strategies they put together will give her the best opportunity to be swimming fast on day eight compared to how fast she can swim on day one,鈥 Atkinson said. 鈥淗ow high she can go, time will tell.鈥
McIntosh and her teammates won鈥檛 often be sitting in the stands cheering for each other 鈥 they won鈥檛 have time. Atkinson said that鈥檚 a sign of how strong Canadian swimming has become, including a national-record 11 medals at last year鈥檚 worlds in Budapest.
鈥淚 think back to Barcelona in 2013. We had three medals in the pool, and not many finals. We had more of a presence in the stands supporting (than racing),鈥 he said. 鈥(Now) rather than having one swimmer on one day that can win a medal, we maybe have opportunities every day.鈥
In the coming days, Canadians to watch will also include three-time Olympic medallist and 100-metre butterfly champion Maggie Mac Neil, who took a health break from racing her signature event at last year鈥檚 worlds; Joshua Liendo, coming off a stellar debut season in the NCAA (winning the 100 freestyle at the national championships) and currently ranked No. 1 in the world in 100 butterfly; and four-time Olympic medallist Kylie Masse, who has long been Canada鈥檚 most consistent individual performer in backstroke.
Four-time Olympic relay medallist Taylor Ruck is also back after time off with a broken hand. Penny Oleksiak, Canada鈥檚 most decorated Olympian, continues to rehabilitate a series of injuries and will not be competing.
McIntosh is the first swimmer ever to hold world records in the 400 freestyle and 400 medley at the same time.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 wake up every day and think: Oh, I have two world records. It鈥檚 not something I think about often at all, and I think that鈥檚 a good thing,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檇 rather just keep thinking about improving every day and training my best, my hardest, to get better and keep improving my times.鈥
That attitude is one of the things that makes McIntosh such a special swimmer, her coach said.
鈥淪he鈥檚 not really tied to all of the tangible stuff,鈥 said Arckey, referring to world records and medals. 鈥淪he鈥檚 more tied to the experience, at least at this point in her career. She just wants the experiences and finding the opportunity to race and challenge herself 鈥 which is a really, really cool quality because not everybody has that.鈥
McIntosh attends school online and just finished Grade 11. She calls herself a normal teenager, even boring. It can be hard to see the teen when she speaks with maturity about her chosen sport, but it comes out when she talks about her other passion: Formula One racing.
She speaks animatedly about seeing her favourite driver, Lewis Hamilton, at a race in Miami and laughs at the notion of giving him advice about trying to catch series leader Max Verstappen.
鈥淚 have no advice for Lewis. I鈥檓 always cheering him on. I watch every single race ... Next year will be his year is all I have to say. Just kind of try to keep pushing forward.鈥
That鈥檚 her plan in the pool, too: 鈥淗aving fun and learning more and more, and continuing to push forward, is always my only goal.鈥
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