Swimming | Summer McIntosh’s Summer

One of Summer McIntosh’s three cats is named Mikey, after Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history. With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, it’s not far-fetched to imagine that the 17-year-old could have the same kind of impact on a Canadian scale as the man with 23 titles and five other podium finishes.

No one dared to mention Phelps during the Canadian swimmer’s virtual press conference early Thursday morning (EST), the only time she had available to the media before diving into the waters of the Paris La Défense Arena on July 27 for what are shaping up to be two medal chances, the 400 freestyle and the 4 x 100 relay.

McIntosh has confirmed, however, that the name of his feline was a tribute to the famous “Baltimore Kid”, a proud father of four children and now in his forties.

No one dared ask her how many medals she hoped to win at her second Olympics. In Tokyo in 2021, the 14-year-old with pins announced herself by finishing just off the podium in the 400m freestyle, a bit like Phelps, fifth in Sydney at 15. Less than two years after this international baptism, both set world records.

So what can we expect from Summer McIntosh, winner of two individual golds and two relay bronzes at the 2023 World Championships, the last time the elite of swimming were present? With four individual events and potentially four relays on the schedule (more likely two), the range of possibilities is as wide as it is uncertain given the quality of the opposition, particularly from the United States and Australia.

No one dared, but a colleague nevertheless mentioned speed skater Cindy Klassen, five-time medalist in 2006, and cyclist and skater Clara Hughes, who stood on the podium six times in six participations, summer and winter.

How does McIntosh manage to evacuate such conjecture and the pressure that necessarily accompanies it?

“Honestly, it’s pretty easy,” said the main person concerned, who spoke from Caen, in Normandy, the rear base of the Canadian swimming contingent, which will travel to Paris on Monday.

“The whole team is so connected. We’re like a big family. We focus on ourselves and don’t really feel the outside noise. It’s amazing how we work together just to have that team bond.”

Body and mind

The Toronto native, who trains in Florida, is preparing to take the nine-day competition – one more than in Tokyo – one step at a time.

“It’s such a long time. It’s really important to try to stay in the moment. My goal is to try to reach my full potential in every race and swim smart. And just have the time reflect the training I’ve done and all the work I’ve put in over the last few years.”

Those who do not seek help from a psychologist or mental trainer believe that what happens between their ears will be “almost more important” than their physical attributes.

“It’s crucial because the body does what the mind believes in. So I do my best to keep my mental game on top, to stay focused and to be mentally ready, in addition to being physically ready. Having those two aspects in harmony is extremely important because you can’t have one without the other.”

McIntosh is counting on his Olympic and world championship experience to help him pace himself from start to finish. “It’s not talked about enough, to be honest. There’s so much you can do to recover properly between those two- to four-minute races.”

Hydration, nutrition, massage, media management: these are all elements to which she will pay particular attention during the fortnight in Paris. Getting the competition off to a good start from day one will be “super, super important.”

“That’s where it all starts. Trying to keep that momentum going from day one is always something Swimming Canada focuses on.”

The 400 freestyle will be a highly anticipated event with the presence of American Katie Ledecky, McIntosh and Australian Ariarne Titmus, the last three world record holders, in order. At the world championships in Fukuoka last summer, the Canadian saw Titmus take it from her. After she finished fourth that day, the lesson has been learned.

“Learning how to bounce back from a bad race is a big part of the sport. Not every race can be perfect. And this was definitely not a perfect race for me! So learning to bounce back and get ready for the next race, keep moving forward and not focus on it too much because it’s in the past now.”

A few Australian journalists tried to spark a rivalry between the young Canadian and her opponents from the antipodes, but McIntosh never bit, expressing all her respect for Titmus and Kaylee McKeown, the triple gold medallist in 2021 who she is likely to find in her path in the 200 IM.

Alone in Tokyo like all the other athletes, McIntosh will be accompanied in Paris by her parents, her big sister Brooke, an international figure skater, her aunt and a few friends. Her mother, Jill Horstead, ninth in the 200m butterfly at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, only encourages her without giving her any advice. In any case, the reigning world champion in the discipline clearly doesn’t need it.