Canadian swimming star Summer McIntosh has announced that she has fully recovered from an illness that sidelined her from competition, expressing that she is “feeling great” following a challenging two-week period.
After falling ill prior to the first event in Carmel, Indiana, McIntosh had to withdraw from all three legs of the World Cup tour.
In a candid interview with CBC Sports, the 19-year-old revealed that just two days before the World Cup was set to commence, she awoke with an intense headache, which initiated a two-week quest to determine the cause of her condition.
“I sensed something was wrong and experienced a range of other symptoms. I visited the ER multiple times, where several tests were conducted, but the doctors were unable to pinpoint the issue. They suspected mono; it turned out not to be mono. They considered the flu or COVID, but it was neither,” McIntosh explained.
“During my third visit to the ER, they needed to test for what could have been viral meningitis. Luckily, it wasn’t that, but the test required a lumbar puncture.”
Issues Following the Lumbar Puncture
This lumbar puncture, commonly referred to as a spinal tap, presented complications for McIntosh. She mentioned that these “complications” kept her in bed for over a week.
“It just postponed my return to swimming because while I felt mostly fine, those complications made it difficult to feel at my best,” she stated.
“I’ve certainly spent time away from the pool, but I’m thrilled to be back in the water and gradually easing back into my routine.”
Having recently relocated to Austin, Texas, to train under the renowned coach Bob Bowman, McIntosh indicated that she would take her time to regain her strength while recovering from her illness and the aftereffects of the lumbar puncture.
She expressed her disappointment about missing the World Cup events, particularly the final stop at the Pan Am Sports Centre near Toronto, where she was eager to compete in front of her fellow Canadians.
“The timing is really unfortunate because I was eager to participate in the World Cups, particularly the last event in Toronto, and swim in front of a home audience,” she lamented.
“Watching Josh’s incredible performances and all the Canadian women has been amazing. I’ve been in touch with them via text; I miss everyone. It’s inspiring to witness the rise of Canadian sports, and I hope we can maintain this momentum, which I believe we will.”
During the opening night of the World Cup in Toronto, Josh Liendo set a new record in the 100-metre short-course butterfly to claim gold. On the following evening, he broke the Canadian short-course record in the 100m freestyle, also winning gold.
Ilya Kharun secured gold in the 200m butterfly on Friday night, bringing his total medal count across the three events to 11, including six gold medals. Kharun achieved the triple crown in the 200m fly, winning at all three stops.
Canada amassed ten medals during the first two days of competition at the Pan Am Sports Centre, with one final session remaining.
While she just missed out on five gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships, the Canadian teenage star gained valuable experience moving forward.
Supporting the Blue Jays
McIntosh has been following each session of the World Cup closely and is also rooting for the Blue Jays as the World Series begins in Toronto.
“I’ve been watching every game with my dad. We were shouting at the TV and cheering. We were so thrilled to see them win Game 1 last night,” she shared.
McIntosh expressed that she feels encouraged in her new training setting at the University of Texas alongside Bowman’s professional team.
The level of talent within her training group is remarkable, featuring swimmers like Leon Marchand, Regan Smith, Hubi Kos, and others training alongside her.
“This experience here is simply surreal. I can hardly believe it, and I want to ensure that I appreciate every practice, as it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” McIntosh noted.
“All credit goes to Bob, of course. He inspires everyone on the team to strive for improvement each day, and we all push each other as hard as we can in the water and in the gym. I believe that our shared passion for the sport keeps us all motivated.”
McIntosh plans to compete in the U.S. Open, which is set to take place in early December in Austin.
Three-time Olympic champion has committed to train in Texas under Bob Bowman, who coached Phelps to 23 Olympic gold medals.
