Team Canada came away with two silver medals on Saturday at the 2002 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Summer McIntosh of Toronto, Ontario won the silver medal in the women’s 400 metre freestyle, while Canada also won silver in the women’s 4×100 metre freestyle relay.
McIntosh posted a Canadian record time of 3:59.39. Katie Ledecky of the United States won the gold medal with a time of 3:58.15. Leah Smith of the United States won the bronze medal with a time of 4:02.06. McIntosh, who is only 15 years of age, reached the podium by 2.77 seconds over Lani Pallister of Australia, who finished in fourth place with a time of 4:02.16.
In the women’s 4×200 metre relay, the Canadian team of Maggie Mac Neil of London, Ontario, Kayla Sanchez of Scarborough, Ontario, Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, British Columbia and Penny Oleksiak of Toronto, Ontario posted a second place time of 3:32.15. Australia won the gold medal with a time of 3:30.95. The United States won the bronze medal with a time of 3:32.58. Canada reached the podium by 3.1 seconds over China, who finished in fourth place with a time of 3:35.25.
Mac Neil and Oleksiak are Canadian Olympic gold medalists. Oleksiak won the gold medal in the women’s 100 metre freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Mac Neil won the gold medal in the women’s 100 metre butterfly at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Meanwhile at the World Para Swimming Championships in Madeira, Portugal on Saturday, Team Canada won four silver medals (one silver medal and three bronze medals). Nikita Ens of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan won the silver medal in the women’s 200 metre freestyle. Ens, who is a paraplegic from a vehicle accident, posted a time of 4:51.75 in the S3 classification. Alec Elliot of Kitchener, Ontario, won the bronze medal in the men’s 100 metre backstroke. Elliot, who has a congenital hand and foot impairment, posted a time of 1:02.44 in the S10 classification. Katarina Roxon of Kippens, Newfoundland, won the bronze medal in the women’s 100 metre breaststroke. Roxon, who was born missing her arm below the elbow, posted a time of 1:24.48 in the SB8 classification. Aurelie Rivard of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, won the bronze medal in the women’s 100 metre backstroke. Rivard, who has an underdeveloped hand, posted a time of 1:10.24. Canada finished the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships with 18 medals (six gold medals, five silver medals, and seven bronze medals).
