Summer McIntosh鈥檚 continued assault on the international swimming podium in 2023 made her The Canadian Press female athlete of the year.
鈥淚鈥檓 very honoured to have it and it鈥檚 just really cool,鈥� McIntosh said of the award.
A talent for swimming fast combined with poise beyond her years has the Toronto teenager tracking for a monstrous 2024.
A couple weeks shy of her 17th birthday, McIntosh defended her world titles in the 200-metre butterfly and 400-metre individual medley in Fukuoka, Japan, to become a double world champion in back-to-back years.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 most proud of is just how much I鈥檝e learned about myself and kind of how much I鈥檝e gained from each experience,鈥� McIntosh said.
鈥淕oing into big meets like a world championship, I don鈥檛 really have exact expectations of myself especially when it comes to placement or medals, but I definitely tried to just reach my full potential in each one of my races and I think I did that for the most part.鈥�
After placing fourth in the 400-metre freestyle in Fukuoka in her first race 鈥� she was a silver medallist in 2022 鈥� McIntosh rallied with a bronze in the 200 free before climbing to the top of the podium in her next two races.
鈥淚 needed to learn how to get back up just after a race that I wasn鈥檛 happy with,鈥� she said.
鈥淢entally and physically repairing myself and getting ready for the next race was super-important. That was my first race of the meet. I had lots of other opportunities to do well so I kind of just put it behind me and kept moving forward.鈥�
She capped her four-medal meet swimming the freestyle anchor leg to help the women鈥檚 medley relay team take bronze and qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Two world records at Canadian trials in March set the stage for her banner world championship.
McIntosh beat by almost half a second the previous 400 IM world record set by Hungary鈥檚 Katinka Hosszu at the 2016 Olympic Games, and lowered the 400 freestyle record by just over a quarter of a second.
The Canadian was the first swimmer in history to hold both the 400 IM and 400 freestyle world records at the same time, which McIntosh did for almost four months until Australia鈥檚 Ariarne Titmus reclaimed the freestyle record in Fukuoka in July.
鈥淭his time last year, I wouldn鈥檛 have ever thought I鈥檇 break two world records or previous world records. I think it鈥檚 still a bit surreal to be honest,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat just kind of comes back to trying to just keep my head down and keep working and not focus too much on records like that, but it鈥檚 a really cool part and kind of a timestamp in history.鈥�
McIntosh put an exclamation mark on her year by ending U.S. star Katie Ledecky鈥檚 11-year run of 400-metre freestyle victories in American pools.
Ledecky hadn鈥檛 lost a 400 in her home country since she was 15 years old. McIntosh beat her by almost three seconds at the U.S. Open in Greensboro, N.C. on Dec. 1.
鈥淵eah, crazy things,鈥� said McIntosh鈥檚 Canadian teammate Marie-Sophie Harvey. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be crazy things in Paris, let me tell you. She鈥檚 just a phenomenon.鈥�
The Canadian Press began recognizing male and female athletes of the year in 1932. CP鈥檚 male athlete of the year will be announced Thursday and the team of the year Friday.
In a survey of sports journalists and broadcasters across the country, McIntosh earned 24 votes out of 52 cast.
鈥淪ummer McIntosh is simply the best and is achieving unbelievable results at an incredibly young age,鈥� wrote Whitehorse Star sports editor Morris Prokop on his ballot.
Swimmer Maggie Mac Neil, who collected a record five Pan American Games gold medals and a world championship butterfly silver in 2023, ranked second in votes, 12 behind teammate McIntosh.
鈥淭here is far more to come from Summer over the next number of years,鈥� Swimming Canada high-performance director John Atkinson said.
鈥淔antastic recognition for a young lady that鈥檚 doing some remarkable things within high-performance sport.
鈥淪he鈥檚 in a fantastic position, which is down to her own attitude, her commitment, her passion and great support from parents and family and from her coaches.鈥�
Previous winners of CP鈥檚 female athlete of the year include hockey players Marie-Philip Poulin (2022) and Hayley Wickenheiser (2007), tennis players Leylah Fernandez (2021) and Bianca Andreescu (2019), soccer star Christine Sinclair (2020, 2012), golfer Brooke Henderson (2015, 2017, 2018) and swimmer Penny Oleksiak (2016).
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
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