Sure, Summer time McIntosh Might Chase 5 Particular person Olympic Golds — However In all probability Not Six
This Canadian was an Olympian at age 14, a world champion at 15 and a world-record holder at 16. Now, Summer time McIntosh is clearly entrenched as one of many world’s high swimmers, one among solely three feminine swimmers to win a number of particular person golds on the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. The others have been legendary swimmers Katie Ledecky and Sarah Sjostrom. That’s good firm.
Her remaining preparation for a second Olympic Video games has gotten off to a really perfect begin in 2024. McIntosh swam swift instances in all of her occasions finally month’s Professional Swim Collection in Knoxville, Tenn., and Thursday night, she made a uncommon look within the 800 free at a Sectionals meet in Orlando and took down Ledecky head-to-head, ending the American’s 13-year profitable streak within the occasion and changing into the second-fastest swimmer in historical past at 8:11.39.
Naturally, the speedy response is awe. What can’t McIntosh accomplish within the pool? That makes a whopping six lengthy course occasions through which McIntosh ranks among the many top-five performers in historical past. The final swimmer (and presumably the one different swimmer) to ever match that was Michael Phelps, who was top-five in seven completely different races for a two-year stretch from 2007 to 2009. In the midst of that point, Phelps gained eight gold medals on the 2008 Olympics, a feat extensively thought to be one of many biggest ever in any sport.
In that dazzling week in Beijing, Phelps gained 5 particular person golds (essentially the most by any swimmer ever in a single Olympics) and by no means needed to race in a couple of particular person remaining in a session, though he did deal with doubles involving a person remaining plus relay or a semifinal. The schedule labored in Phelps’ favor, because it should for any swimmer hoping to drag off an unthinkable efficiency at a significant meet.
How does the schedule line up for McIntosh? Nicely sufficient that she may pull off 5 particular person occasions in Paris, swimming nicely sufficient to win 5 particular person medals and even perhaps 5 particular person golds. However six? No manner.
Right here’s the schedule for the occasions through which McIntosh may take part, together with the Canadian girls’s relays:
Day 1 AM: 400 freestyle P
Day 1 PM: 400 freestyle F, 400 freestyle relay F
Day 2 AM: 200 freestyle P
Day 2 PM: 200 freestyle SF
Day 3 AM: 400 IM P
Day 3 PM: 400 IM F, 200 freestyle F
Day 4 AM: off
Day 4 PM: off
Day 5 AM: 200 butterfly P
Day 5 PM: 200 butterfly SF
Day 6 AM: off
Day 6 PM: 200 butterfly F, 800 freestyle relay F
Day 7 AM: 200 IM P, 800 freestyle P
Day 7 PM: 200 IM SF
Day 8 AM: off
Day 8 PM: 200 IM F, 800 freestyle F
Day 9 PM: 400 medley relay F
Summer time McIntosh — Photograph Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
This setup brings some probably difficult conditions for McIntosh to navigate, with probably 4 completely different days with a number of medal races. The 400 free-400 free relay double on the primary day must be manageable, with solely 100 meters to race the second time and McIntosh creating a status for sturdy relay performances.
The subsequent two doubles, on days three and 6, would put McIntosh within the first and final races of the session. Which means she may attempt to win gold in each the 400 IM and 200 free on the identical night time, however whereas she is an enormous favourite within the medley, making an attempt to beat the likes of Mollie O’Callaghan, Ariarne Titmus and Siobhan Haughey over 200 meters is a frightening job even whereas recent.
Nevertheless, day eight options each the 200 IM and 800 free. A 12 months in the past, earlier than McIntosh had flexed medal-caliber velocity in both occasion, it seemed like she can be executed together with her essential occasions by this level, possibly making an attempt to win an additional medal to conclude the Video games however probably with out terribly excessive expectations.
Then got here the two:06.89 200 IM, which made McIntosh the fourth-fastest performer ever. She adopted that up final month with a 2:07.16 on the Knoxville meet final month. And now comes the 8:11 800 free, instantly giving her an actual likelihood at thwarting Ledecky’s tried four-peat within the 800 free, a mark no girls’s swimmer (and solely Phelps amongst males) has achieved in any occasion.
The 200 IM remaining and 800 free remaining are scheduled back-to-back on the second-to-last day of Olympic swimming. McIntosh is not going to try each. Trying a double like that on the Olympic stage can be just about inconceivable, and McIntosh has developed a behavior of dropping an occasion or two at main meets to concentrate on most efficiency in her essential occasions. She dropped the 200 IM finally 12 months’s Worlds for that purpose.
Even going for the 400 IM-200 free combo can be a uncommon transfer for her, however given a spot of some 90 minutes in between, that could be a possible risk. Not the 200 IM plus 800 free. The guess right here is that she opts for the medley, gearing her coaching towards the shorter distances and specializing in a possible showdown with Individuals Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh plus Australia’s Kaylee McKeown on the finish of a grueling Paris program.
If Paris have been to go nicely for McIntosh, that medley may yield particular person medal No. 5. In Olympic swimming historical past, the one feminine to win 5 solo medals at one Video games was Australia’s Shane Gould, who bagged three golds, one silver and a bronze in 1972. A fully excellent Olympics may imply the 200 IM is a fifth particular person gold medal, a historic feat that might match Phelps. McIntosh’s unimaginable swimming has made this dialog a sensible one.
However six? Not this time, not in Paris. No swimmer, not even one as proficient and profitable as McIntosh, may stave off fatigue to drag it off given the schedule constraints.
