For most people, the Tokyo Olympic Games are probably memorable because the so-called “2020” Olympics happened in 2021, amidst a pandemic. But for swimming fans, myself included, these Games seemed like a red carpet of the newest swimming prodigies to shine and for the ‘oldies’ to sparkle. I’ll review my personal 4 top highlights of the 2021 Olympics Swimming below
- Lydia Jacoby’s debut and gold medal
By far my favourite event, the 100 breaststroke was exciting to watch from the beginning. With Rio 2016 breaststroke gold, Lilly King, Russian star, Yuliya Efimova, and South African Tatjana Schoenmaker, I never expected the gold to be claimed by 17-year-old Lydia Jacoby, with an impressive time of 1:04.95, 0.27 seconds ahead of silver Tatjana Schoenmaker. Of course, it’s a shame that veteran and my absolute favourite Yuliya Efimova came 5th, but younger generations are touching the toes (quite literally) of the older generations, and that is fantastic to see in high-level competitions. Lydia Jacoby is the first swimming Olympian from Alaska, where pools are scarce. Apart from bringing home this gold, she also got a silver medal from the mixed medley relay, where she did her absolute best despite losing her goggles. I’m really excited to see her in the upcoming 2024 Olympics!
- Rylov’s impressive performance
I’m not particularly fond of backstroke, but the 100 and 200 backstroke finals were very intense. In fact, the races were extremely controversial. The 100 backstroke finals had all-time favourites Rylov, Kolesnikov, and Murphy as candidates for gold, with Ryan Murphy qualifying with the best time. However, to everyone’s surprise, Rylov came in first with a mind-blowing 52.00, followed by his compatriot Kolesnikov 0.02 seconds behind, Murphy came in third. In the interviews following this final, Murphy commented on how he thought that “doping is unacceptable in high-level sports and that he finds it unfair that he’s competing with people who do it.” Later on, he apologized publicly to Rylov and said that it was a big misunderstanding. In the 200 backstroke, Rylov also took gold, with Murphy taking silver, except this time they celebrated their wins together, truly showing how the Olympics brings people together.
- Summer McIntosh: future star
Canadian Summer McIntosh is for sure a swimming prodigy. Fourteen years old, made it to the Olympics, broke 2 national records in the process (400 freestyle and 4×200 freestyle relay), ranked 8th worldwide in 200 freestyle and 11th in 400 freestyle (before the Olympic), she will be a pleasure to watch in the next few Olympic cycles. In these Games, she performed at a very high level, surpassing everyone’s expectations because of her age. She qualified for the 400 freestyle final 5th and came in 4th, a major accomplishment for a 14-year-old. She didn’t take a medal home but gained experience and many memories. With her talent and ambition, she’s sure to have a fruitful 2024 Olympic season. Penny Oleksiak’s (most decorated Canadian Olympian, also a swimmer) words about Summer: ‘I love Summer, I hate training with Summer,” speak to McIntosh’s undeniable talent and work ethic.
- Ahmed Hafnaoui’s win in the 400 freestyle
Ahmed Hanfnaoui made everyone’s jaw drop in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Qualifying last for the 400 freestyle final, no one expected the 18-year-old Tunisian swimmer to place first. Swimming in the 8th lane, his gold was the first (and only) gold medal Tunisia won in Tokyo 2020. Hafnaoui managed to drop 2.32 seconds from his qualifying times (3.45.48) to his gold-medal final time (3.43.36), a rare occurrence in the Olympics, showcasing hard work and perseverance. I’m excited to see what his career will bring.
These Games had many unexpected twists and turns, making them unforgettable. The next Olympics will be held in 2024 in Paris. The swimming world has many emerging talents right now and I am thrilled to see the above-mentioned talents and any newcoming swimmers in Paris 2024.