Swimmer Summer McIntosh wins Northern Star Award after dominant Paris Olympics

TORONTO — Swimmer Summer McIntosh has won the Northern Star Award as Canada's athlete of the year after a dominant performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 18-year-old from Toronto won three gold medals in Paris, becoming the first Canadian athlete to accomplish that feat at an Olympic Games, summer or winter.

She set Olympic records in both the 200-metre medley and 200 butterfly and also won gold in the 400 medley. She added a silver in the 400 freestyle.

The Northern Star Award is given out annually by the Toronto Star and is voted on by sports journalists from across Canada. McIntosh was announced as the winner shortly after she won the 400-metre freestyle in a world-record time at the short-course world championships in Budapest, Hungary.

It's the ninth time a swimmer has won the award and the first since Penny Oleksiak in 2016.

Basketball star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the award last year, NHL superstar Connor McDavid, hammer throw gold medallist Ethan Katzberg and Professional Women's Hockey League leading scorer Natalie Spooner were the other finalists.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press