2024-08-02 12:20:02
Canada’s Summer McIntosh won gold and set an Olympic record in the women’s 200m butterfly in Paris on Thursday, 1 August, finishing with a time of 2:03.03 for her second gold medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Regan Smith from the United States took silver at 2:03.84, and the People’s Republic of China’s Zhang Yufei took bronze in 2:05.09.
Zhang had the early lead, but McIntosh moved to the front at the 50m mark. The 17-year-old McIntosh seemed to find an extra level of speed to put breathing room between her and her competitors. Smith stayed close to McIntosh throughout, but was unable to get ahead of the Canadian teen.
Thursday’s final adds to a successful week for McIntosh at Paris 2024, as she earlier won a gold in the 400m individual medley and a silver in the 400m freestyle. But there was something extra special about this race for McIntosh.
At the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984, Canadian swimmer Jill Horstead took ninth in the 200m butterfly. Forty years later, her daughter would win gold in the same “Summer race,” as it were.
“It means the world, especially in that event. I always loved the 200 fly growing up, and it was also a fun and enjoyable race, to do it in that way, I’m very happy,” McIntosh said.
“It’s pretty cool winning the 200 fly because that, by far, was [her mother’s] main event. So to share that moment with her is pretty cool. I know she is so proud of me along with the rest of my family. I can’t thank them enough.”
McIntosh, at 17, realizes the dizzying Olympic heights she is reaching at such a young age — but her week isn’t over. She doesn’t want to take time to think about what she’s accompished just yet.
“It’s pretty surreal. I am not reflecting on it too much right now. I got 2IM [200m individual medley] tomorrow, so I really need to focus on that right now,” McIntosh said.
