Swimming’s next generation of stars claimed the spotlight at the Paris Olympics on Monday night, a brash group that comes from all over the globe.
Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old phenom from Canada.
David Popovici, a 19-year-old from Romania.
Mollie O’Callaghan, a 20-year-old speedster who took down her mighty Australian teammate, Ariarne Titmus.
Throw in an Italian gold medalist, and another from South Africa, and it was clear that swimming’s reach stretches far beyond the traditional powerhouse, the United States. In all, 10 different nations divvied up 15 medals on this night.
Sure, the Americans collected some hardware on Day 3 at La Defense Arena. But it was all silver and bronze, with longtime stalwarts such as Ryan Murphy and Lilly King touching behind other nations.
McIntosh claimed the first gold medal of her rapidly blossoming career with a dominating victory in the 400-meter individual medley.
Popovici won a stirring duel to take the men’s 200 freestyle, which featured three different leaders on the final lap.
Then perhaps the biggest surprise of all: Titmus, the world-record holder and defending gold medalist in the women’s 200 free, was knocked off by O’Callaghan.
Titmus, who had started the games with a dominant victory in the 400 freestyle, could only stand off to the side this time, applauding her teammate’s come-from-behind victory.
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 it mentally and physically and emotionally and trying not to get too high or too low,” McIntosh said.
McIntosh collected her first medal of any color on the opening night of swimming, taking a silver in the 400 free behind 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.
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.
Another teen rules
Popovici made the teenagers 2-for-2 on the night, and it took everything he had.
After the final flip, American Luke Hobson edged in front. Then Britain’s Matthew Richards, out in Lane 1, pushed to the lead. Finally, it was Popovici getting to the wall first 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.
The new ‘Terminator’
Titmus, the Australian star known as “The Terminator,” was heavily favored in the 200 free, especially after setting a world record last month at the Australian trials and knocking off a stellar field in the 400 free.
But she couldn’t hold off O’Callaghan, who was fifth at the halfway point and third on the final flip. The youngster surged past both Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong and Titmus on the final 50 for an Olympic-record time of 1:53.27.
Titmus slipped to the silver in 1:53.81, while Haughey held on for bronze in 1:54.55.
Gold for Italy, again
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 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 the lead of Nicolo Martinenghi, who grabbed Italy’s first gold at the pool with a victory in the 100 breaststroke Sunday night.
South African triumph
Tatjana Smith gave South Africa its first swimming gold of the games with a victory in the women’s 100 breaststroke.
She held off China’s Tang Qianting with a time of 1:05.28, while the silver medalist touched in 1:05.54.
It was quite a race for the bronze, which went to Ireland’s Mona McSharry in 1:05.59 — a hundredth of a second ahead of King and Italy’s Benedetta Pilato, who tied for fourth.
King, who has said this will be her final Olympics, was denied the sixth medal of her career.
Looking ahead
In the only semifinals of the night, Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and Regan Smith of the US set up a much-anticipated duel in the women’s 100 backstroke.
They each won their heats, with Smith posting the fastest time (57.97) and 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 a time of 57.13 at the US trials last month.
