PARIS — Summer season McIntosh received the ladies’s 200-meter particular person medley right here on the 2024 Olympics on Saturday, coming from at the back of over the overall 50 in probably the most meet’s maximum loaded occasions.McIntosh chased down Staff USA’s Alex Walsh and held off U.S. superstar Kate Douglass with an out of this world freestyle leg to win her 3rd particular person gold and fourth medal of those Video games, atmosphere an Olympic report with a time of two:06.56.Douglass received silver in 2:06.92. Walsh was once later disqualified for an unlawful flip between her backstroke and breaststroke, permitting Australia’s Kaylee McKeown (2:08.08) to sneak onto the rostrum in 3rd.The mainstream media gadget had constructed final weekend’s 400-meter freestyle into the “Race of the Century.” However in swimming circles, that race had a transparent winner; the 200 IM, alternatively, formed up as the real “race of the yr,” with 4 or 5 attainable winners and a couple of new titans of the game. In Lane 1, there was once McKeown, double-double champion of the backstroke occasions at Tokyo 2021 and right here in Paris.In Lane 3, there was once Douglass, gold medalist within the 200 breaststroke and most likely essentially the most flexible feminine swimmer on the earth.In Lane 4, there was once Walsh, the silver medalist on this match a couple of days previous her twentieth birthday in Tokyo.In Lane 5, there was once McIntosh, 17 years outdated and already the most efficient all-around feminine swimmer on this planet.The 2 American citizens entered because the final two international champions. McIntosh entered with 3 medals, two of them gold, because the breakout superstar at the ladies’s aspect of this meet. McKeown, in the meantime, entered with not anything to lose. “My major occasions are out of the way in which,” she mentioned Friday. “And the next day’s only a a laugh time for me” — but nonetheless an match during which she owns a worlds silver medal, and which she entered with the quickest personal-best time within the box.China’s Yu Yiting, an 18-year-old accelerating into the combination, additionally lurked in Lane 7. In a fairly predictable game, this felt like a real “race of the yr” as it packed superstar energy however not anything even reminiscent of a transparent favourite.And over two frantic mins right here at Paris Los angeles Défense Area, it lived as much as the hype.
