Canadian teenage swimming star Summer McIntosh won a gold medal in the women’s 200-metre butterfly on Wednesday at the World Aquatics Championships, kicking off an excellent day for Canada at the event in Budapest, Hungary.
Later, Kylie Masse added another gold in the women’s 50-metre backstroke and Joshua Liendo took bronze in the men’s 100-metre freestyle.
Canada made it four medals on the day when the 4×200-metre women’s freestyle relay team of McIntosh, Kayla Sanchez, Taylor Ruck and Penny Oleksiak won bronze.
The 15-year-old McIntosh set a world junior and Canadian record of two minutes, 5.20 seconds in the final.
“I think I’m a little bit in shock right now,” McIntosh told the world TV feed. “I’ve watched my 50 progress over the last couple of years. I’ve gained a lot of strength and worked a lot on my speed. I couldn’t ask for anything more to get on the podium.”
McIntosh surged in front in the final 100 metres, finishing almost a second ahead of runner-up Hali Flickinger of the United States (2:06.08).
“The first 50 and second 100, I definitely pushed it a little bit,” McIntosh said. “I didn’t really think much until the last 50. I just gave it my all to put all my energy and all my focus to get my hands on the wall as fast as I possibly could.”
Zhang Yufei of China was third (2:06.32).
The Toronto-born McIntosh now has two medals at the event after earning silver in the 400-metre freestyle on Saturday.
McIntosh previously set a junior world record and Canadian record in the 200-metre butterfly in the semifinals on Tuesday, finishing in 2:05.79.
As a 14-year-old at the Tokyo Olympics last year, McIntosh finished fourth in the 400-metre freestyle.
Masse, from LaSalle, Ont., finished in 27.31 seconds, edging Katharine Berkoff of the United States (27.39).
Ingrid Welm of Calgary was fourth.
It was the seventh career individual medal at the long-course world championships for Masse, the most for any Canadian.
Masse’s win on Wednesday was her second at the meet in Budapest, Hungary. She won silver in the 100-metre backstroke earlier.
Liendo, a 19-year-old from Markham, Ont. clocked in a 47.71 time and took home his first long-course World Championship medal.
It also was a first medal for a Canadian male at the meet.
McIntosh, less than two hours after winning gold, had an outstanding first leg of the relay, pushing Canada in front and giving the country the strength it needed to hold on for bronze.