Summer McIntosh, Josh Liendo Earn Third Straight Canadian Swimmer of the Year Honors

Following a stunning Olympic performance that saw her win three individual gold medals and one silver in Paris, Summer McIntosh has been named Swimming Canada’s Female Swimmer of the Year for the third straight time.

Josh Liendo, who won the first Olympic medal of his career with a silver in the men’s 100 fly, earned Male Swimmer of the Year honors, also doing so for the third straight year.

Other top honors went to Olympic Program Coach of the Year Greg Arkurst, and the Paralympic Swimmers of the Year, Aurelie Rivard and Nicholas Bennett.

MCINTOSH CONTINUES TO RACK UP ACCOLADES IN 2024

In addition to winning her third straight Canadian Female Swimmer of the Year award, McIntosh was also named Junior Female Swimmer of the Year for the fourth straight time in her final year of eligibility.

McIntosh was a force in her second Olympic appearance in Paris, setting new Olympic, World Junior and Canadian Records en route to winning gold in the women’s 200 fly (2:03.03) and 200 IM (2:06.56), and adding a third individual title in the women’s 400 IM (4:27.71).

Just 17 at the time of the Games (now 18), she also won silver in the 400 free (3:58.37) and contributed on all three of the Canadian women’s relays which all placed fourth, one spot shy of the podium.

At the Olympic Trials in May, she shattered her world record in the 400 IM, clocking 4:24.38 to become the fastest swimmer in history by nearly two seconds.

For her efforts, McIntosh was one of Canada’s flagbearers at the Closing Ceremonies, and she was also featured in the TIME100 Next list, including receiving a testimonial from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a reception with other members of the list in New York City.

McIntosh specifically pointed out the significance of her 200 fly gold medal, with her mother, Jill (nee Horstead), having raced the event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“Sharing that moment with my family, Team Canada and friends, everyone there cheering me on was an awesome moment,” McIntosh told Swimming Canada. “The 200 fly is one of my favorite events if not my favorite event. It was amazing,” McIntosh said.

In addition to her Olympic success, McIntosh ranks in the top three in the world for the 2024 calendar year in six events, sitting first in her three Olympic-winning events to go along with ranking #2 in the women’s 800 free and third in both the 200 and 400 free. She also ranks 16th in the 100 fly, 28th in the 100 back, 36th in the 100 free and 63rd in the 200 breast.

Winning Female Swimmer of the Year honors for the third straight time matches McIntosh with Kylie Masse, who won the award three straight times from 2017 until 2019. Masse was Canada’s other female medalist in Paris, winning bronze in the 200 back.

McIntosh will take aim at more hardware later this month at the Short Course World Championships in Budapest.

LIENDO THREE-PEATS AS MALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR

Liendo became just the fifth swimmer in history to break the 50-second barrier in the men’s 100 fly, doing so under the heaviest pressure a swimmer can face: the Olympic final.

The 22-year-old clocked 49.99 to break his Canadian Record and win silver behind Kristof Milak, while fellow Canadian Ilya Kharun won bronze to make it a double-medal event for Canada. Along with McIntosh’s gold in the 200 IM earlier in the evening, Liendo and Kharun made it the first-ever three-medal night for Canada in Olympic swimming.

“I do think about it,” Liendo said of the 100 fly, according to Swimming Canada. “In the moment it was awesome having me and Ilya on the podium.

“From the standpoint of me and Ilya, and me being the first Black Canadian (swimmer) to medal at an Olympics, I feel like it is just motivation for the rest of the country and people coming up. Hopefully we can inspire the next generation, keep this momentum moving forward in the sport in Canada. I feel like swimming has a lot of room to grow and should be a bigger sport in the country.”

Competing in the 50 free, Liendo placed ninth in the semis, one spot shy of the final, but was scratched into the top eight after a withdrawal from France’s Maxime Grousset. Liendo made the most of the opportunity, putting up a time of 21.58 in the final to place fourth, just two one-hundredths shy of another medal.

“It always sucks to be fourth, but I was grateful to be in the mix and so close,” said Liendo. “I learned a lot about myself, not to give up in that kind of scenario.

“I went through with it, and it paid off. It was a wild one. The crowd was nuts for (bronze medalist Florent) Manaudou.”

Liendo also set a new Canadian Record of 21.48 in the 50 free during the Olympic Trials in May. Although not factored into him winning this award, he also had a phenomenal performance representing the University of Florida at the 2024 Men’s NCAA Championships in March, sweeping the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly while contributing on a pair of winning relays for the Gators.

COACH OF THE YEAR WINNERS HONORED IN CALGARY

The three Coach of the Year winners were recognized during the Canadian Swimming Congress in late September in Calgary.

Greg Arkhurst was named the 2024 Canadian Coach Of The Year – Olympic Program, Haley Bennett-Osborne the 2024 Canadian Coach Of The Year – Paralympic Program and Carl Simonson the 2024 Canadian Junior Coach Of The Year.

Arkhurst, the head coach of Montreal’s CAMO club, coached Mary-Sophie Harvey to a resurgent year that included a fourth-place finish at the Olympics in the women’s 200 free. A two-time Olympian born in the Ivory Coast, Arkhurst became the first Black coach named to the Canadian Olympic swimming staff.

Bennett-Osborne coached her brother Nicholas Bennett two two gold and a silver at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, leading him to be named Canadian Male Para Swimmer of the Year for the second straight time.

Bennett-Osborne is the head coach of Catalina Swim Club in Reed Deer, Alberta.

“I’m proud of her as a swimmer but even more proud as a brother. She’s deserved this her entire life. She’s put her life on hold for me at times but she’s also embodied everything that’s great in the sport and totally deserves it,” Nicholas said.

Simonson, the assistant head coach at the University of Calgary Swim Club, saw numerous successes from his swimmers this year, most notably the Junior Male Swimmer of the Year, Aiden Norman, who won gold medals in the boys’ 100 and 200 back at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in August.

Norman was one of four UCSC swimmers on the Canadian team in Canberra.

“It’s always nice to be recognized, but it’s really the accomplishments of the athletes that allow me to be in the limelight a little bit,” said Simonson, who lauded Norman’s progression from the 2022 Junior Pan Pacs to the 2023 World Juniors and ultimately this summer’s Junior Pan Pacs.

“We basically went 36 months without real breaks,” Simonson said. “If you have a good, trusting relationship, then I think you can do really great things.”

OTHER AWARD WINNERS

• Nicholas Bennett was named Para Male Swimmer of the Year after claiming three medals in Paris, winning gold in the men’s 100 breast SB14, the 200 IM SM14, and adding a silver in the 200 free S14.
• Aurelie Rivard claimed Para Female Swimmer of the Year honors for the record-breaking seventh time, having won three medals at the 2024 Paralympics including a third straight gold in the women’s 400 free S10. She’s now won 13 total medals over four appearances at the Paralympics.
• Fresh off breaking a world record at the Ken Demchuk Invitational, Sebastian Massabie was honored as the Breakout Swimmer of the Year in the Paralympic program, having won Paralympic gold in the men’s 50 free S4 in Paris. The 19-year-old also finished fifth in the 100 free, sixth in the 200 free, and has reset the world record in the 50 fly numerous times throughout the year.
• Blake Tierney was named Breakout Swimmer of the Year in the Olympic program after qualifying for his first Olympic team, setting a new Canadian Record in the men’s 200 back (1:56.74) and also winning the 100 back (53.48) at the Canadian Olympic Trials. The 22-year-old went on to finish 16th in the 100 back and 19th in the 200 back in Paris, and also led off the Canadian men’s 4×100 medley relay that finished fifth in the final.
• Norman was named Male Junior Swimmer of the Year following his backstroke sweep at Junior Pan Pacs, setting lifetime bests of 53.73 in the 100 back and 1:57.67 in the 200 back at the meet. The 18-year-old walked away with six total medals in Canberra, contributing on four medal-winning relays for the Canadians.

2024 SWIMMING CANADA AWARD WINNERS

• Male Swimmer of the Year – Olympic Program: Josh Liendo
• Female Swimmer of the Year – Olympic Program: Summer McIntosh
• Coach of the Year – Olympic Program: Greg Arkhurst
• Male Swimmer of the Year – Paralympic Program: Nicholas Bennett
• Female Swimmer of the Year – Paralympic Program: Aurelie Rivard
• Coach of the Year – Paralympic Program: Haley Bennett-Osborne
• Breakout Performer of the Year – Olympic Program: Blake Tierney
• Breakout Performer of the Year – Paralympic Program: Sebastian Massabie
• Junior Male Swimmer of the Year – Olympic Program: Aiden Norman
• Junior Female Swimmer of the Year – Olympic Program: Summer McIntosh
• Junior Coach of the Year: Carl Simonson