Summer McIntosh swims the backstroke leg on her way to winning the women's 200m IM at the Canadian Olympic Swim Trials in Toronto on May 19.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
When it comes to the Olympics, Canada is now swimming in the deep end of the talent pool.
Swimming Canada finalized its roster for the Paris Summer Games on Sunday, and it will send what is undoubtedly the deepest team the country has assembled for an Olympics.
“We really are in the golden age of Canadian swimming, because of what the athletes are doing,” said John Atkinson, Swimming Canada’s high-performance director, who took over the program in 2013.
“It’s certainly the deepest team that I’ve taken.”
Led by dominant performances at the Olympic trials this week from podium-favourite Summer McIntosh, the women’s team features multiple medal winners from the past two Olympics, including Maggie Mac Neil, Kylie Masse, Penny Oleksiak, Sidney Pickrem and Taylor Ruck.
It also has a men’s roster – built around strong showings from Josh Liendo, Finlay Knox, Javier Acevedo, Yuri Kisil, Ilya Kharun and Blake Tierney – heading to Paris believing they are poised for a breakout.
“We’ve seen the women do it year in, year out,” Knox said. “For us, it’s really just like – they’re not doing anything we’re not doing, so why can’t we do it?”
Sprinkled in are a few swimmers who have raised their level before Paris, including Mary-Sophie Harvey and Sophie Angus. They and others could be relied upon to shoulder the workload in the relay events, easing the burden on medal favourites such as McIntosh, who could swim five events and factor in multiple relays.
The team also includes a contingent of first timers, such as Julie Brousseau, Ella Jansen, and Lorne Wigginton – all 18 years old – who will get their first taste of an Olympics, laying the groundwork for future Games, just as McIntosh did in Tokyo three years ago.
Of the 29 swimmers going to the Olympics, including 17 women and 12 men, McIntosh is the youngest, at 17, and the one who is commanding the most attention around the world with a string of eyebrow-raising performances.
Canadian swimming’s sudden renaissance began in 2016, with the rise of Oleksiak, Masse and others, as swimmers who could go up against the world’s best and emerge victorious. Their success helped change the culture of the program.
The women won six medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, more than any previous Summer Games, then followed up with six more in Tokyo in 2021.
Since then, McIntosh, who debuted in Tokyo as a 14-year-old and narrowly missed the podium as a member of Canada’s fourth-place 4x200-metre freestyle-relay team, has gone on to solidify her place as one of the best swimmers in the world.
On the men’s side, Knox said the men are anxious to start building on the momentum the women’s side has generated.
He said the women’s program – including the success of McIntosh – has been an inspiration.
“The women are performing even better than they were previously. You have Summer, who’s winning multiple individual world championships and world records, and so we always have something to strive for,” Knox said.
“It’s just amazing to be part of history.”
Knox won gold in the 200m individual medley at the world aquatics championships in Doha in February. It was the first world title for the men since 2007. This week, he bettered that race, setting a Canadian record of 1 minute 56.07 seconds.
Teammate Liendo, who won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly at the world championships last year, also set multiple Canadian records this week and has emerged as a serious podium threat in Paris.
“Josh was the first one to really make that breakthrough and show that it is possible, and he’s kind of helped drag us along … and kind of just mentor us a bit,” Knox said.
McIntosh has had a remarkable week at the Olympic trials. On Sunday, she qualified for her fifth individual event, winning the 200m medley in a time of 2:07.06. Pickrem placed second, qualifying for Paris in a time of 2:07.68.
That followed several statement races for McIntosh, including Saturday’s 200-metre butterfly, in which she turned in the fastest time in the world this season, finishing in 2:04.33. On Thursday, she smashed her own world record in the 400m medley.
“Going to Paris, I’m super excited,” McIntosh said. “It’s going to be an amazing meet. Not just for me but for all of Team Canada.”
There is still some uncertainty surrounding the roster, though. Oleksiak, Canada’s most decorated Olympian with seven medals over the past two Summer Games, is still looking to qualify for an individual event, after battling knee and shoulder injuries.
Her top-four finish in the 100m freestyle earlier in the week secured her a spot on the relay in Paris, where she has always been a key member of Canada’s medal wins. But Oleksiak fell uncharacteristically short in her attempts to qualify for an individual race.
The top two swimmers in every event this week qualified for an individual event in Paris, provided they met the Olympic qualifying time.
On Sunday, Oleksiak won the 50m freestyle in a time of 25.06 seconds, but missed the Olympic qualifying time of 24.70. Ruck came second in a time of 25.08.
It was the third race this week in which Oleksiak missed the Olympic qualifying time, as she tries to ramp up her performances and bounce back from injuries, including knee surgery four months ago.
She placed ninth in the 200m freestyle early in the week, then rebounded to win the 100m freestyle a few days later, putting in her best time in a few years. However, Oleksiak narrowly missed the Olympic qualifying time by 0.05 seconds.
There is still a path for her to secure an individual entry in Paris, though. All swimmers have to race Olympic qualifying times by June 23 in order to make the cut.
Oleksiak could swim a sanctioned meet over the next month, such as the Mel Zajac Jr. Invitational in Vancouver, from June 21-23, in order to qualify. But she is now up against the calendar.
“We’ll see, I’m still figuring it out,” Oleksiak said of what other events she might swim. “We’re getting close to that time. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to try and do it. If I make the time, awesome, I would love to be a part of that race and see what I can do.”
She said she would also be happy as a member of the relay teams, where she could play a leadership role.
“If I don’t, and I’m just stronger for the relays, and we can get some medals for those then I’m excited for that, too.”