Summer McIntosh, hands-down, had one of the greatest Paris Olympic runs. The 18-year-old prodigy went on to win the 200m butterfly, 200m medley, and 400m medley at the Games. Post the win, McIntosh went on a break for six weeks. The initial plan for the duo was to take a two-week break, but she extended her break to rest properly. And now, McIntosh is ready to jump back into the pool.

Her new target? The World Short Course Championships in Budapest. Summer McIntosh will be training under Brent Arckey for the same. Arckey was a part of Canada’s coaching squad in Paris. With McIntosh’s impressive Olympic campaign behind her, she’s now juggling sponsorship commitments and getting ready to end the year with yet another win.

After the break, McIntosh is all set to create history again!

After her brief hiatus, McIntosh is back to pouring herself into training for the World Short Course Championships in Budapest this December. And the competition should be worried! The Canadian squad announced by Swimming Canada is headlined by McIntosh and features 15 Olympians. The squad also includes the celebrated Ilya Kharun, who won two bronzes in Paris. With seven of Canada’s eight Olympic medals on the 18-member team, they are not taking Budapest lightly. Especially considering the Canadian women’s team had a dismal fourth-place team finish at the Olympics.

But all eyes are on McIntosh, who isn’t just showing up! She’s showing up with an intent to win. “I am excited to end 2024 with the World Aquatics Short Course Championships at one of my favorite venues and cities in the world,” McIntosh said. And that’s not all! She is ready to go head-to-head against some of the greatest. “Team Canada typically brings a smaller team with a lot of spirit, ready to embrace another opportunity to go up against the very best. It should be a lot of fun to race short course meters for the first time in a couple of years, and it’s great to see everyone again,” she added.

Summer McIntosh is sending out a clear message that she is back. And she is back to beat the best. This is her time to fine-tune her performances, sharpen her skills, and, most importantly, have fun in the pool. Adding another layer of excitement to the Canadian team are two new names. The two-time junior world champions are Alexanne Lepage and Oliver Dawson. The Canadian team is ready to make it an unforgettable season. And McIntosh is leading the charge as they aim to upset the odds and take down legends on the world stage. Looking at Summer’s history, it is not a far-off claim.

From being the youngest on the Olympic team to four Olympic medals!

Summer McIntosh’s rise will go down as historic. She was born into a swimming legacy as the daughter of Canadian Olympian Jill Horstead. This, however, was a double-edged sword, as it also meant that McIntosh had some pretty big expectations to live up to. In true Summer style, she did more than that. At just 14, she was the youngest member of Canada’s Olympic team in Tokyo 2020. In 2020, she missed the podium narrowly with a fourth-place finish in the 400m freestyle. But that loss was only the beginning of a great story.

Come 2022, McIntosh debuted at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest. She won the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley. She did the same, breaking the world junior records. Additionally, McIntosh also won silver in the 400m freestyle behind swimming legend Katie Ledecky. She followed this up with a six-medal run at the Commonwealth Games. She won two golds and set another world junior record during the same. In 2023, McIntosh did the unthinkable and beat Ledecky at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series.

That spring, McIntosh broke two more world records at the Canadian trials. She took down marks held by Olympic legends Ariarne Titmus and Katinka Hosszu. This put McIntosh officially in a league of her own. And then came the Paris Olympics, where she showed the world she was here to stay. McIntosh became the first Canadian woman to win two individual gold medals at a Summer Olympics, and her four-medal haul put her on par with some of the all-time greats.

The World Short Course Championships are definitely a great ending to the season. But Summer McIntosh already has something bigger brewing. As her coach, Brent Arckey, maps out her next steps, she will soon be shifting her focus to the 2025 World Championships in Singapore. Budapest is just another stop on the unstoppable winning journey. This is just McIntosh showing the world what it means to be great, one stroke at a time.