Summer McIntosh rolls on in Paris as Katie Ledecky scales new heights

PARIS – Summer McIntosh showed the Paris Olympic pool the thrill of the new generation with a second gold medal for Canada on Aug 1, but it was golden oldie Katie Ledecky standing alone at the end of day 6 as the most decorated female swimmer of all time.

The teenager swept in like a summer storm to make off with the 200 metres butterfly title at La Defense Arena, before the veteran claimed a record 13th Olympic medal by helping the United States take silver behind Australia in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

The latter’s achievement was another boost for the US team following Kate Douglass’ gold in the 200m breaststroke.

Hungary then savoured their first champion of the meet when the Bob Bowman-coached Hubert Kos won the men’s 200m backstroke.

The men’s swimming has been all about French poster boy Leon Marchand, but McIntosh, 17, may end up remembered as the face of the women’s meet.

Having blown away the field for the 400m individual medley gold on day 3, her second gold was more of a battle in the event that her Olympian mother Jill Horstead swam for Canada.

She had to reel in the eventual bronze medallist and Chinese defending champion Zhang Yufei, then fended off America’s Regan Smith who took the silver, to win by 0.81sec in 2min 3.03sec.

She also became the first Canadian woman to win three individual medals in swimming at an Olympics – including 400m freestyle silver – and another may be coming in the 200m individual medley on Aug 3.

“It’s pretty cool tonight winning the 200 fly just because that was by far her main event,” McIntosh said of her mum.

“So sharing that moment with her is pretty cool. I know she’s just so proud of me along with the rest of my family.”

In McIntosh, Ledecky might see something of herself in the teenager who is making waves.

The American, 27, showed she is far from a spent force, however. Swimming a strong third leg of the relay to help the US onto the podium, her 13th medal moved her past the previous record of 12 she shared with Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Emma McKeon.

Ledecky, who had already retained her 1,500m title, may charge further ahead when she goes for an unprecedented fourth gold in the 800m freestyle on Aug 3. A home Games at Los Angeles in 2028 also beckons.

“It’s just amazing to get to be a part of, even one-13th of the journey that she’s been on,” said teammate Erin Gemmell, 19.

“I think it’s so much more fun to be on a relay than to be by yourself. We just had a great time out there tonight.”

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Tatjana Smith was content to call time on her career after taking silver behind the versatile Douglass in the 200m breaststroke.

Having taken the 100m gold in Paris and built her Olympic medal tally to four, Smith, also 27, bows out as South Africa’s most decorated Games swimmer.

Kos, the 2023 world champion, celebrated his first Olympic gold in the 200m backstroke, ahead of Greek silver medallist Apostolos Christou, with Swiss Roman Mityukov taking the bronze.

In the last event of the night, Australia celebrated their 4x200m relay gold, three years after a selection mistake left them with bronze and a storm of criticism in Tokyo.

The team of Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus won in an Olympic record of 7:38.08, finishing 2.78sec ahead of the US. Defending champions China took the bronze in 7:42.34.

“It was really fun. I feel like a bit of redemption for us,” said Titmus.

“Tokyo was definitely not the result we wanted and I personally wasn’t happy with how I performed in the relay in Tokyo.” REUTERS, AFP