Reflecting on the night before her Paris 2024 Olympic journey began, McIntosh recalls, “It was me, Taylor (Ruck), Maggie (Mac Neil), Kelsey (Wog), and some roommates chilling in our room at the Olympic Village. It was kind of wild but also felt so normal. We were about to go through the same thing.”

The 17-year-old rewrote Canadian history with her record-breaking performances. She began with a silver medal in the 400m freestyle, finishing behind Australia’s Ariarne Titmus. Two days later, she claimed her first gold in the 400m individual medley, winning by nearly six seconds—the largest margin in 40 years. Her next gold came in the 200m butterfly, a race she calls her favourite, setting an Olympic, world junior, and Canadian record in the same event her mother swam in 1984.

“Sharing that moment with my family, Team Canada, and friends was amazing,” McIntosh said.

McIntosh capped off her Games with another gold in the 200m individual medley, defeating a stacked field to set another Olympic and national record. Her coach, Brent Arckey, praised her resilience, saying, “There was not an option to lose in her mind.”

Competing in 13 events over nine days, McIntosh navigated the high expectations with poise. “Getting that silver medal the first night got me going, and I tried to get better race by race,” she said.

McIntosh joins Kylie Masse as the only swimmer to win Swimming Canada’s top honour three consecutive times. Masse, who earned her third Olympic medal in Paris with bronze in the 200m backstroke, is tied with McIntosh for the most individual Olympic medals by a Canadian swimmer.

“Kylie is such a class act,” McIntosh said. “She’s been a mentor to me and is an amazing leader.”

Looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, McIntosh is eager to continue her growth. “I’m excited to keep improving and build on what I’ve learned from Paris and Tokyo,” said McIntosh, who turned 18 in August.

Next, McIntosh will compete at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, December 10–15, adding the 200m backstroke to her program. She’s optimistic about the team’s future.

“For short course, we have three new rookies, which is exciting,” McIntosh said. “It’s amazing being on Team Canada and helping grow the sport in Canada. The future is really promising.”

Blake Tierney Named Canada’s Breakout Swimmer of the Year

Blake Tierney’s rise in Canadian swimming earned him the 2024 Breakout Swimmer of the Year (Olympic Programme) award, capping a season of standout achievements and inspiration for the next generation of swimmers from Saskatchewan.

Tierney, who moved to Saskatoon at 14, recalls being inspired by watching Sam Ryan, a fellow Saskatoon Goldfins swimmer, compete at the Rio Paralympics.

“We were all huddled around an iPad watching her race, and it really inspired me,” Tierney said. “To see someone from Saskatchewan compete at that level was really cool.”

That moment fuelled Tierney’s dreams. Seven years later, he debuted at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, earning five medals, including an individual bronze in the 100m backstroke. He then represented Canada at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

“Being part of those teams was eye-opening,” Tierney said. “It really allowed me to elevate my perspective. Seeing incredible athletes compete, I realised they’re all human, and I thought, ‘Why can’t I do what they’re doing?’”

Tierney’s determination led to a historic performance at the 2024 Olympic Trials, where he broke the Canadian 200m backstroke record and qualified for Paris.

“I still don’t know if it’s fully settled in,” said Tierney. “It had been a dream of mine my whole life. I’m really appreciative of everyone who helped me get there—my coaches and my parents, especially.”

In Paris, Tierney competed in the men’s and mixed 4x100m medley relays, both finishing fifth and reaching the 100m backstroke semifinals, placing 16th.

“It really hit me when I was walking out of the call room,” he said. “Scott [Talbot] told me to soak it up. Hearing tens of thousands of fans was amazing—a flood of emotion hit me.”

Reflecting on his journey, Tierney emphasized the importance of resilience and support.

“I stuck to the program and trusted the process, and it finally paid off. It was super nice to be recognized after all the hard work.”

Now training at Vancouver’s High Performance Centre, Tierney credits his roots in Saskatoon for sparking his dream. He will close the season at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, December 10-15.

Article information courtesy of Swimming Canada