Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh is facing a new challenge in her quest for five individual gold medals at the 2028 Summer Olympics. A recent change in the scheduling of the upcoming Summer Games has led to conflicts that will impact her event selection.
One significant adjustment is the back-to-back scheduling of the women’s 200-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle events on the final day of swimming competition. This change has effectively ruled out McIntosh’s participation in the 800m freestyle, despite her impressive performance and potential for gold in Los Angeles.
Although McIntosh, a 19-year-old from Toronto and a three-time world champion, remains focused on her goal of clinching five gold medals, her event lineup has been reshuffled. University of Toronto head swimming coach Byron MacDonald indicated that McIntosh is likely to compete in the 200m individual medley, 400m IM, 200m fly, and 400m free events. The 200 freestyle is now a probable addition to her schedule, replacing the 800 freestyle due to scheduling conflicts.
McIntosh’s Olympic campaign is expected to kick off on July 22 with the 400m freestyle final. A tentative projection by CBC Sports outlines her potential lineup for the 2028 Games, highlighting her key events on each competition day.
In another notable shift, the 2028 Summer Olympics will see women’s 100m sprinters leading the Games’ opening day instead of swimming. The change in schedule places track and field events at the forefront, with the women’s 100 meters taking center stage on July 15 at the LA Coliseum. This adjustment allows female sprinters, including top athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson and Julian Alfred, more time to prepare for multiple races on the opening day. The change was made due to logistical constraints as the opening ceremony is set to take place at SoFi Stadium, where it was not feasible to accommodate a swimming pool immediately after the ceremony.