Summer McIntosh ‘intrinsically prepared’ for greatness, Canadian Olympic swimming legend says

Former competitive swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Anne Ottenbrite-Muylaert talks about the pressure Summer McIntosh puts on herself to succeed in the pool.

The first female athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming for Canada says Summer McIntosh is built for the moment.

Anne Ottenbrite-Muylaert, who won a total of three medals in her Olympic career, told CTV News Channel on Friday that McIntosh is “intrinsically prepared” and doesn’t let outside noise get to her.

“I think it’s just (the) pressure that she’s putting on herself with this goal of winning five, (which) I think would be fantastic for the sport of swimming,” she said.

McIntosh won the women’s 200-metre butterfly on Thursday with a time of 2:01.99 seconds, just a few seconds short of the world record at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

McIntosh, a seven-time World Champion holding six world records, may very well be the best swimmer Canada has ever seen.

She won three gold medals and earned a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics shortly before her 18th birthday, which led to Time Magazine calling last year the “Summer of Summer.”

The 18-year-old from Toronto has already bagged three world championship gold medals and is hoping to add two more, which will tie her with American swimming legend Michael Phelps for the highest number for individual gold medals won during a world championship.

Ottenbrite-Muylaert, the first Canadian woman to win Olympic gold in swimming at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, calls the young athlete “seasoned” and “prepared for the stress and pressure.”

She also noted that McIntosh had a support team behind her that is working “feverishly” to make sure she’s rested and recovered for each event.

“These events that she swims are very taxing and very difficult,” Ottenbrite-Muylaert said. “Recovery is a big issue, and she does an amazing job of making sure she takes care of her body, her mind and her soul.”

McIntosh’s mother, Jill Horstead had also competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, like Ottenbrite-Muylaert – in the women’s 200-metre butterfly, like her daughter.

Meanwhile, Ottenbrite-Muylaert believes Canada can expect to see more athletes like McIntosh in the future, inspired by her performance and passion for the sport.

On Friday, she competed against reigning Olympic champion and America’s best female swimmer in history, Katie Ledecky.

Ledecky, who has won 22 golds at the event in her career, finished over five seconds ahead of McIntosh, with a time of 8:14:62.

McIntosh won the second heat and had the third-best total time after Australia’s Lani Pallister and Ledecky, both of whom qualified from the third heat.

Canada has won a total of six medals at the World Aquatics Championships, so far – five in swimming and one in high diving.

The championship ends with a 400-metre individual medley final this Sunday – which McIntosh has dominated and holds the world record for.

With files from the Canadian Press