John Atkinson compares Canada害羞草研究所檚 Olympic swim team in Paris to a complex jigsaw puzzle requiring a deft hand to complete.
Swimming Canada害羞草研究所檚 high-performance director of a dozen years is managing his deepest Olympic team yet, with 17-year-old Summer McIntosh its centrepiece.
While the women have carried the swim team to the podium at the last two Olympic Games, the men害羞草研究所檚 side is showing medal potential in Paris.
害羞草研究所淭he men害羞草研究所檚 program is in a very different place than it was leading into Tokyo,害羞草研究所� Atkinson said.
Canadian women won six swimming medals in Rio in 2016 and another half-dozen in Tokyo in 2021.
害羞草研究所淭he last two games, we had six medals. We害羞草研究所檙e looking towards six and beyond,害羞草研究所� Atkinson said.
Canada害羞草研究所檚 28-member team at the pool contains multiple medal threats swimming in more than one race.
Strategically managing talent to extract maximum medals from seven relays creates many moving parts for Atkinson and Canada害羞草研究所檚 seven coaches led by head coach Ryan Mallette.
害羞草研究所淪ometimes you have to be comfortable with things looking chaotic because you know there is a plan behind it all,害羞草研究所� Atkinson said.
害羞草研究所淲e are going to have some athletes that race on Day 1 and are still racing on Day 9 and all the way in between, where before you might have an athlete waiting until Day 8.
害羞草研究所淲hen you have the team we have now, and qualified seven relays for the first time ever, everybody is going to be on their own very dynamic plan not only for racing, but recovery between races to sustain the nine days of that performance.害羞草研究所�
Swimming starts Saturday at the Aquatics Centre, which is one of just two permanent sport venues built for Paris 2024 alongside Le Bourget Climbing Wall.
Toronto害羞草研究所檚 McIntosh steps onto the blocks in the women害羞草研究所檚 400-metre freestyle a podium contender in that event and more.
Reigning 100-metre Olympic butterfly champion Maggie Mac Neil races the heats and semifinals of that event Saturday, when she could also join seven-time Olympic medallist Penny Oleksiak in the women害羞草研究所檚 4 x 100 freestyle relay final.
Veteran backstroker Kylie Masse, who was a double silver medallist in Tokyo, eyes a return to the Olympic podium.
害羞草研究所淚 would love to go faster than I害羞草研究所檝e ever been,害羞草研究所� said the 28-year-old from LaSalle, Ont.
Backstroker Ingrid Wilm, butterfly specialists Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun and individual medley swimmers Finlay Knox and Sydney Pickrem have all reached podiums at the two world championships held over the last 12 months.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e seen the success of the women. We want to get to that point,害羞草研究所� Liendo said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not afraid to aim high. We want to be able to win medals, be in finals and be a challenge in races.害羞草研究所�
Deploying those swimmers, and incorporating key cogs Rebecca Smith, Taylor Ruck and Mary-Sophie Harvey into relay heats and finals is part of the chess game Canadian coaches will play in Paris.
Canada will race for the first time in the mixed medley relay that made its Olympic debut in Tokyo.
An example of Canada害羞草研究所檚 juggling act is the men害羞草研究所檚 and women害羞草研究所檚 medley relay heats fall on the same Day 8 as the mixed relay, men害羞草研究所檚 100-metre butterfly and women害羞草研究所檚 200-metre medley finals.
害羞草研究所淣ot just with Summer, but particularly with Summer and others who have this multiple-event conundrum, we have a plan as to where they might not be needed in prelims for relays, then they害羞草研究所檒l come in for finals,害羞草研究所� Atkinson explained.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 plans for when they get their massage therapy, there害羞草研究所檚 plans on meal and nutritional intake, that they get that immediately. There害羞草研究所檚 plans to manage all activities outside of the pool.
害羞草研究所淣ine days of racing 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 not always the fastest swimmer that wins at the Olympic Games. It害羞草研究所檚 the one who recovers the most day to day.害羞草研究所�
The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported in April that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in the months leading up to Tokyo害羞草研究所檚 Olympic Games in 2021, when some were allowed to compete.
Chinese authorities said the drug entered the swimmers害羞草研究所� systems through contamination. The World Anti-Doping Agency accepting that explanation caused a war of words between WADA and U.S. anti-doping chief Travis Tygart and threats of litigation from WADA.
McIntosh, in the 400 freestyle, and Canada害羞草研究所檚 women害羞草研究所檚 4 x 200 freestyle relay finished fourth in races in which Chinese swimmers won medals in Tokyo.
The Associated Press reports China害羞草研究所檚 swimming team in Paris retains 11 athletes who tested positive for a banned heart medication ahead of Tokyo.
害羞草研究所淭here is somewhat less trust in the system when these stories come out. We don害羞草研究所檛 know the full intricacies of what害羞草研究所檚 transpired, but every time that comes out, trust gets dented and it does take time to come back from that,害羞草研究所� Atkinson said.
害羞草研究所淢y message to everybody has always been, control the things you can control. You can control what you do, you can control how you swim, you can control how you perform. What you can害羞草研究所檛 control is what someone else decides to do. You have to almost put that in a box to the side, focus on what you need to go and swim to your absolute best and be better at Paris than you were at our trials.害羞草研究所�
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