Canadian swimmers prepare for Olympic competition in historic French city

With the sun blasting down on the outside of Stade Nautique Eugène Maës pool in Caen, France on Friday morning, Canadian swimmers continued to churn up the water, exhaustively going back and forth and putting the final touches on their preparation as the clock ticks down to Paris 2024. 

For the past week the 28 swimmers from Canada who will compete at the Games have been staging in the French city before traveling to Paris on Monday to enter the Athletes Village.

It’s getting real now and there’s a palpable intensity around the pool.

“Being as prepared as possible is what I aim for and visualizing what it’s going to be like on day one,” said Summer McIntosh. 

“The Olympics bring pressure but that’s just part of the game.”

McIntosh, 17, is making her second Olympic appearance. She was just 14-years-old when she made her debut in Tokyo. She was the youngest swimmer on the team then and she’s still the youngest swimmer on the team.

But a lot has changed in the past three years for the swimming teenage sensation. McIntosh has captured four world championship titles and is the world record holder in the 400-metre individual medley.

She is considered by many to be one of the most talented swimmers in the world going into the Olympics.

WATCH | McIntosh sits down with Devin Heroux ahead of Paris Olympics:

The final sit-down interview with Summer McIntosh ahead of Paris

7 minutes ago

Duration 7:23

CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux speaks with 17-year-old swimming sensation from Toronto one week out from the start of the Olympics. 

Intense Olympic program

McIntosh will be competing in four individual events as well as relays. Managing an intense Olympic program and learning how to conserve energy has been the focus of training for McIntosh. 

“That means everything. Every day of training these past two years I’ve been focusing on managing what it’s going to be like to have a nine-day swim meet and managing days off.”

McIntosh will be in the pool for Canada on the opening day of competition slated for Saturday, July 27. She’ll be competing in what is widely considered the most anticipated race of the Games, the women’s 400m freestyle. 

The Canadian was disappointed with the finish and says she’s learned from it.

“I’ve definitely learned from the past that you have to be ready on day one [of the] heats. That’s my focus right now. There are some big races on that opening day,” she said.

McIntosh is alongside 27 other Canadian swimmers who are brimming with confidence. The camp in Caen has been meaningful for so many reasons – there is a deep connection to this community and Canada.

Canadian soldiers’ integral role

Eighty years ago Canadian soldiers played an integral role in helping liberate the French city during World War II. There are Canadian flags everywhere in the community. And throughout the swimming staging camp, locals have come out to the pool to support the team as they prepare for the Games.

On Thursday, the team travelled to Juno Beach, in Normandy, to pay respects to soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms people enjoy today. It was an emotional experience for the athletes who were guided through a tour of the Juno Beach Centre before walking on the beach.

“They are here to create their own history but it’s nice to reflect on the history here and the role Canadians played,” said John Atkinson, high performance director for Swimming Canada.

“Look at what Canada stands for and look at what we stand for. When we look at the role Canada played in the liberation of Caen, we’ll be drawing on what great Canadians did back then.”

Team Canada has won 55 Olympic swimming medals throughout history, second only to athletics for most Olympic medals won by Canadians in a summer sport.

Canadian women have racked up 12 combined medals at the last two Olympics – that’s the most combined medals over two Games in the country’s history. Now the men on the team are looking to add to the medal tally. 

Liendo looking to leave mark

Josh Liendo is preparing to compete at his second Olympic Games. He says he’s hungry for the podium and believes he’s ready to get there. Liendo has posted the fastest 100m butterfly time in the world this season.

“Yes I’m the hunted but I’m still hunting. I love competition. It’s a different mindset now. I’m a little more comfortable,” he said. 

Liendo is also part of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team looking to get onto the podium after finishing fourth in Tokyo. He says the team – consisting of Yuri Kisil, Finlay Knox, Javier Acevedo, and himself – is ready.

“Last time we were fourth and I think this time overall we have a better team. I’m very excited. I might not be showing it right now. I’m trying to stay calm,” Liendo said.

“I think if we can do something special that opening night, there’s no looking back. We’ve always been really close. The goal is to get the job done. There’s accountability and there’s a lot of trust. I trust those guys and I know how much work they’ve put in.

“We’re ready.”

Oleksiak wants to add more medals

Canada’s most decorated Olympian Penny Oleksiak, who has won seven medals at the previous two Games, is going to be a key part of Canada’s relay success. 

She says the goal is to add to her medal tally and help lead Canada to the podium.

“I’m feeling really, really good. I thrive on a time crunch. I’ve been going times I’ve never seen myself go in training so I’m excited to see what I can do,” Oleksiak said. 

“What can I do this time? Can I add to that medal count? I’m excited to try and add to it and doing it on relays is always better. I’m excited to feel that adrenaline again and get to that racing energy.”

The swimming competition begins on Saturday, July 27 and runs until Sunday, Aug. 4 (CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBCSports.ca)

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