Summer McIntosh was confident of her gold medal victory as she neared the finish.
A 17-year-old Canadian swimmer made history by winning the 400-meter individual medley at the Olympics in Paris, dominating the competition.
The 400-meter medley test consists of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle in that order. McIntosh finished her freestyle leg two body lengths ahead of Katie Grimes.
The Toronto teen dominates the breaststroke leg, admits weak discipline, and sets up a victory lap in freestyle.
The temporary "Myrtha" pool at La Defense Arena had no world record by day three of swimming.
McIntosh finished with a time of 4:27.71, which was slower than her world record set in May. However, she still beat Grimes by 5.69 seconds and Emma Weyant by 7.22 seconds to win the bronze.
After singing O Canada in both languages, McIntosh was hugged by her parents and sister, who gave her the Maple Leaf flag.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, McIntosh's parents were unable to be present in Tokyo for their 14-year-old's Olympic debut.
McIntosh won another medal in Paris, this time a silver in the 400-meter freestyle. On Saturday, she looked calm, but on Monday, she was happy and waved from the pool deck.
The individual who had won the world championship twice was considered the clear favorite. She emphasized that her emotions upon winning the 10th gold medal for Canada in Olympic swimming were not influenced by relief.
According to her teammate Mary-Sophie Harvey, McIntosh's maturity surpasses her age, and she displays a strong competitive spirit.
McIntosh is participating in multiple races, including the 200-meter butterfly starting Wednesday and the 200-meter medley later this week. According to her coach, Brent Arckey, the 400 medley is particularly well-suited to her skills.
McIntosh, who was nine years old at the time, witnessed Kylie Masse's backstroke bronze win in 2016 during the Rio Olympics. Recently in Tokyo, Masse, a double silver medalist, observed McIntosh secure a gold medal before successfully qualifying for her third Olympic final.
In the 100-meter backstroke event, both Masse, 28 years old, and Wilm from Calgary achieved commendable performances. Masse secured the fifth-fastest time, while Wilm ranked sixth, allowing them to progress to the final taking place on Tuesday.
Harvey, from Trois-Rivières, Que., narrowly missed the podium by a margin of just over three-tenths of a second in the first Olympic final for the 24-year-old athlete.
McIntosh is set to maintain her rigorous schedule in Paris. She is participating in the preliminary races for the 200-meter butterfly event on Wednesday, aiming to secure a spot in the final scheduled for Thursday. If successful, she may also have the opportunity to participate in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
The 200-meter I.M. preliminaries will take place on Friday, followed by the final on Saturday. On Sunday, McIntosh has the possibility of participating in the medley relay.