'Greatest swimmer of all time': Toronto swimmers cheer on Summer McIntosh after medal haul
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On Sunday, McIntosh marked the end of her journey at the World Aquatics championships in Singapore with her fourth gold medal, winning the women's 400-metre individual medley in about four minutes and 25 seconds.
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As McIntosh topped the podium, fellow young swimmers at Lakeshore Swim Club in Etobicoke, Ont., a Toronto neighbourhood west of downtown, cheered on.
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Club president Tara Smith said they reminisced about McIntosh swimming for the club in her early years.
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'A number of her records still stand in our record books and so our swimmers see it every day when they go into practice,' said Smith.
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Sunday's win marked McIntosh's fifth overall medal at the championships, joining her gold in the 200 butterfly, 200 medley and 400 freestyle and bronze in the 800 freestyle.
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Her lasting impact on the Etobicoke swim club is seen at its training facility at the Gus Ryder Pool and Health Club. A plaque for the club's grassroots development program, of which McIntosh was a part, greets visitors.
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'We're really proud of her,' said Smith. 'I know she has really big expectations of herself, but she does a fantastic job representing our country and representing herself.'
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McIntosh now has 13 career medals at the world championships — the most of any Canadian — including eight gold.
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After last year's Olympics, Smith said the overall interest in the club's pre-competitive program increased — something she attributes to McIntosh.
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She said McIntosh creates a lot of excitement in the sport and inspires the kids at the swim club.
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On social media, McIntosh supports her old club by interacting with swimmers' posts.
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'It's very exciting for the kids to see that, whether it's just comments or a heart,' Smith said.
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Swimmers from Toronto Swim Club delayed their Saturday morning workouts and gathered around a screen at the University of Toronto to watch McIntosh's 800-metre freestyle showdown with American Katie Ledecky.
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Though McIntosh came up third in a tight race behind Ledecky and Australia's Lani Pallister, swimmers were just as excited to watch her compete and take home another medal, said the club's national head coach Bill O'Toole.
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'It's just so inspiring to see a Canadian take on the world like that,' said O'Toole. 'In my opinion, she will be the greatest swimmer of all time.'
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