Tag: Olympic games

NANTERRE, France — Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh claimed the first gold medal of her just-burgeoning career Monday night with a dominating victory in the 400-meter individual medley at the Paris Olympics.

The 17-year-old McIntosh collected her first medal of any color on the opening night of swimming, taking a silver in the 400 freestyle behind Ariarne Titmus — and ahead of Katie Ledecky.

Now, McIntosh has the most prized color of all.

“I try to take every event very individually and just do my work, but starting off for me — getting on the podium — is definitely a great way to start,” McIntosh said. “You try to continue to get better and better.”

She pushed the pace hard through the first half of the grueling race — the butterfly and backstroke legs — to leave everyone in her wake except American Katie Grimes.

McIntosh was under her own world-record pace, but couldn’t keep it going. She touched in 4 minutes, 27.71 seconds, more than three seconds off the mark of 4:24.38 she set at the Canadian trials in May.

But it was more than enough to blow away the field in the Olympic final.

McIntosh seemed to take it all in stride. Maybe it’s because she competed at the Tokyo Olympics at age 14, so she sort of feels like a veteran now.

“Every single time I get to race on the world stage, I learn more and more about handling mentally and physically and emotionally and trying not to get too high or too low,” McIntosh said.

She’s got a grueling schedule in Paris which includes two more individual races — the 200 butterfly and 200 IM.

There are no plans to celebrate just yet.

“I mean, obviously I’m super happy with this gold,” McIntosh said. “But now I’m all about the 200 fly on day five.”

Grimes, who is also swimming the open water event in Paris, held on to claim the silver in 4:33.40. The Americans also grabbed the bronze when Emma Weyant touched in 4:34.93.

David Popovici made the teenagers 2-for-2 on the night when he pulled off a thrilling victory in the men’s 200 freestyle.

The 19-year-old Romanian was among three swimmers who swapped the lead back and forth on the final lap. First, it was American Luke Hobson edging in front. Then Britain’s Matthew Richards, out in Lane 1, pushed to the lead.

Finally, it was Popovici mustering everything he had to get to the wall in 1:44.72 — a mere two-hundredths ahead of Richards, with Hobson just 0.07 back to earn the bronze.

Britain’s Duncan Scott, the silver medalist in Tokyo three years ago, finished in 1:44.87 to miss out on the podium this time. The top four were separated by a mere 0.15 seconds.

Thomas Ceccon gave Italy its second gold in as many nights at La Defense Arena, rallying to win the men’s 100 backstroke.

China’s Xu Jiayu led at the turn, just ahead of American Ryan Murphy — the 2016 gold medalist. Ceccon was third, but he switched to another gear on the return lap.

The Italian, who has held the world record since the 2022 world championships in Budapest, now has a gold medal to go with it after finishing in 52.00.

Xu claimed the silver (52.32), while the 29-year-old Murphy settled for the bronze for the second Olympics in a row at 52.39.

Ceccon followed Nicolo Martinenghi, who grabbed Italy’s first gold at the pool with a victory in the 100 breaststroke Sunday night.

In the only semifinals of the night, Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and Regan Smith of the U.S. set up a much-anticipated duel in the women’s 100 backstroke.

They each won their heats, with McKeown posting the fastest time (57.97) ad McKeown right on her heels (57.99).

McKeown is the reigning Olympic champion and former world-record holder — a mark that Smith snatched away with time of 57.13 at the U.S. trials last month.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

NANTERRE, France — Nicolo Martinenghi won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke on Sunday at the Paris Olympics, thrilling Italian fans and canceling several of the main story lines going into the race.

Martinenghi was the bronze medalist in this event in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and won at the world championships earlier this year in Doha.

But he was not the expected winner.

That was to be Great Britain’s Adam Peaty — the two-time defending Olympic champion in the event in Lane 4. Another potential gold medalist was thought to be China’s Qin Haiyang in Lane 5, who swept the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke last year in the world championships.

Qin is the world record holder in the 200, and Peaty holds the 100 mark.

Martinenghi won from Lane 7 in 59.03 seconds, just ahead of Peaty and American Nic Fink, who tied for silver at 59.05. Qin finished in seventh in 59.50.

“I was in my favorite lane, in seven,” Martinenghi said. “Nobody saw me. I was like in the shadows. I love to race that way and that was my favorite lane. I have a chain with No. 7 on it. When I was younger I trained in that lane.”

Martinenghi called the atmosphere at the La Defense Arena “insane,” created by Frenchman Leon Marchand’s runaway victory earlier in the 400-meter individual medley.

“To become Olympic champion today, next to Adam — one of my idols when I grew up. Amazing,” he said.

Peaty sat out of competitive swimming for about a year after winning in Tokyo, focusing on his mental health and what he has called his “personal demons.”

His return was good enough, even if it wasn’t gold.

“I’m not sad at all,” Peaty said. “I think anyone that’s done sport — you’re willing to put yourself on the line every single time, so there’s no such thing as a loss.”

He referenced is mental health journey as more important that the Olympic result.

“I’m not defining myself — this whole journey back, 14 months — by a medal,” he added. “I define myself by, you know, my heart and what it’s made me feel, what it’s made me produce.”

Qin is one of 11 Chinese swimmers in Paris who tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Tokyo Games but were not sanctioned.

Peaty has been outspoken about doping and on Saturday called for a “fair game” going into Sunday’s final. Qin had also responded, suggesting unfounded claims against China and complaining about stepped-up testing of Chinese swimmers.

“I’m so happy the right man won,” Peaty said,

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games