Summer McIntosh wins silver for Canada’s first medal of Paris 2024

Summer McIntosh‘s first Olympic medal is Team Canada’s first medal of Paris 2024.

The 17-year-old won silver in the women’s 400m freestyle in a time of 3:58.37 on the first night of swimming finals at Paris La Défense Arena.

This final was rife with anticipation as it featured the three fastest women ever in the event: McIntosh, world record holder Ariarne Titmus of Australia, and American Katie Ledecky.

In the end, it was Titmus who led from start to finish to successfully defend the Olympic gold medal she won at Tokyo 2020 in a time of 3:57.49, more than two seconds lower than her world record. McIntosh stuck with her through the first four of the eight laps before Titmus began to open up a half a body length lead and touched the wall 0.88 ahead of the Canadian.

Both of them left Ledecky in their wake. The 2016 Olympic champion and four-time world champion in the event was actually in fourth place through the first half of the race before moving up to claim bronze in 4:00.86, leaving her 2.49 back of McIntosh.

This is just Canada’s second ever Olympic medal in the women’s 400m freestyle. Shannon Smith won bronze 48 years ago at Montreal 1976.

Three years ago, McIntosh finished fourth in this event in her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 when she was just 14 years old.