Summer McIntosh began the FINA world aquatics championships in the best way possible – with a medal around her neck.
The 15-year-old from Toronto swam to the silver medal in the women’s 400-metre freestyle at the Duna Arena in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.
McIntosh swam the face in three minutes, 59.39 seconds, finishing only behind American Katie Ledecky, who touched the wall in 3:58.15. Leah Smith of the U.S. captured the bronze medal with a time of 4:02.08. With the result, the Canadian becomes one of four women to ever swim the event in under four minutes.
WATCH | 15-year-old McIntosh swims to world championship silver:
Summer McIntosh earns silver in 400m freestyle at world aquatics championships
6 hours ago
Duration 6:20
The Toronto native finished with a time of 3:59.39 for the 2nd-place finish at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
“I just wanted to have fun and race and push and hang on with [the] others,” McIntosh said.
McIntosh burst onto the global stage last summer with a fourth-place finish in the 400m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and has continued her top form. She broke her Canadian record in March, swimming the third-fastest time ever in the 400m individual medley (IM) during an invitational trials prep event.
The native of Toronto, Ont. isn’t done at the world championships either, as she is also set to race in the 200m butterfly and the 400 IM.
WATCH | Why Summer McIntosh’s performance is a big deal:
Why Summer McIntosh’s incredibly fast time at worlds is a big deal
25 minutes ago
Duration 0:58
The 15-year-old Canadian won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle event at the world championships in just three minutes, 59.39 seconds. Here are 3 reasons why that time is a big deal.
Canadian women’s 4x100m wins silver
Canada’s women’s 4x100m relay team ended the first day of competition in Budapest with a silver medal, as the team of Maggie Mac Neil, Taylor Ruck, Penny Oleksiak, and Kayla Sanchez swam to a time of 3:31.15, finishing 1.2 seconds behind Australia, and ahead of the Americans who clocked in 1.63 seconds behind.
WATCH | Penny Oleksiak drives Canada to silver:
Canada claims silver in 4×100 freestyle relay at world aquatics championships
5 hours ago
Duration 5:22
The group of Maggie Mac Neil, Taylor Ruck, Kayla Sanchez and Penny Oleksiak finished with a time of 3:31.15 to place 2nd in the competition at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Canada looked to be in the bronze medal position for much of the race, but a strong anchor leg from six-time Olympic medallist Penny Oleksiak pushed the Canadians to second down the final stretch.
Continuing to be a force on the world stage, Canada earned the same medal in the event as they did at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with the same nations finishing ahead and behind them on the podium.
Mary-Sophie Harvey qualifies for 200m IM final
Mary-Sophie Harvey of Laval, Que put in a strong performance in the heats of the women’s 200m IM on Saturday, finishing with a time of 2:10.38, and punching her ticket to the final on Sunday.
The 22-year-old is a four-time Pan-Am Games medallist but has yet to win an Olympic or world championship medal. With a fourth-place finish in the heats, Harvey will be in contention for a medal when she races at 1:27 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Canadian men’s 4x100m relay finishes sixth
The Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team, led by Josh Liendo, couldn’t quite swim their way onto the podium. But, after a strong start where they stayed in contention, the team of Liendo, Yuri Kisil, Ruslan Gaziev and Javier Acevedo slid back in the final lengths, finishing in sixth with a time of 3:11.99.
The U.S. won the gold medal with a time of 3:09.34, as the Australians finished second at 3:10.86, and Italy in third with a time of 3:10.95.
Audrey Lamothe swims to top-10
Montreal’s Audrey Lamothe took to the outdoor pool at her first world championships in Budapest, finishing 10th in the women’s solo technical artistic swimming competition. The 17-year-old from Montreal finished with a score of 83.0909.
WATCH | Lamothe finishes top 10 in the artistic solo technical final:
FINA World Aquatic Championships: Artistic Swimming Solo Technical Final
10 hours ago
Duration 1:31:23
Watch the artistic swimming technical solo final from the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Japan’s Yukiko Inui captured the gold with a score of 92.8662. Ukrainian Marta Fiedna picked up the silver medal, while Greece’s Evangelia Platanioto won the bronze.
Looking ahead to Day 2
The Canadian team has a lot to look forward to at the Duna Arena in Budapest, with Harvey racing the 200m (IM) final on Sunday and medals also awarded in the men’s 100m breaststroke, women’s 100m butterfly, and men’s 50m butterfly.
CBC Sports is the home to the FINA World Aquatics Championships, streaming live on cbcsports.ca from June 18-July 3.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
