Canadian swimmers advance out of heats, fencer defeated in quarters on Day 1 in Paris

Summer McIntosh, of Canada, competes during a heat in the women's 400-metre freestyle at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Nanterre, France. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-David J. Phillip

PARIS, France — Summer McIntosh was one of several Canadian swimmers to advance out of their heats, while a first-time fencing Olympian beat a three-time defending champion as the Paris Games got underway in earnest on Saturday.

McIntosh, a 17-year-old from Toront,o qualified for the final of the women's 400-metre freestyle swimming event by finishing second in her heat and fourth overall. The final will come later Saturday at Paris La Defense Arena.

Maggie Mac Neil from London, Ont., qualified for the women’s 100-metre semifinals later on Saturday. She took second place in her heat and seventh overall.

The 24-year-old, who is the defending Olympic champion in the event, will try to move on to Sunday’s final.

Canadian relay swimmers also qualified for finals through their Saturday morning heats.

Toronto's Penny Oleksiak, Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., Brooklyn Douthwright of Riverview, N.B., and Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., qualified sixth in the women's 4x100-metre freestyle relay.

Qualifying fifth for the men’s final were Finlay Knox of Okotoks, Alta., Yuri Kisil of Calgary, and Javier Acevedo and Josh Liendo, both from Toronto.

Both relay finals will come later on Saturday.

Canadian fencer Fares Arfa defeated the three-time defending Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi in a surprise upset in men’s individual sabre on Saturday, advancing to the round of 16, where he defeated France’s Bolade Apithy.

Szilagyi, the only male fencer to win three Olympic gold medals, was chasing a fourth notch on his belt.

“It’s really a shock. It’s like my opponent read me. I was an open book to him," he said after the match.

“It happened so fast, and I’ve never thought that my individual competition here in Paris would be so short.”

Arfa, who is making his Olympic debut, was defeated in the quarterfinals by South Korea’s Oh Sang-Uk.

·         Full coverage of the Paris Olympics on TSN.ca

Olivia Baril, of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., finished 20th in the women's time trial — the first cycling event of the Games. The event was won by Grace Brown of Australia, who managed to stay astride her bike even as many of her competitors were thrown by the slippery wet pavement after hours of rain.

Later in the day, Canada is set to take on Greece in men’s basketball, led by NBA first-team all-star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He led the senior men’s national team to a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Also later Saturday, the women’s beach volleyball tournament will see Canadian pair Heather Bansley and Sophie Sokovec face off with Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth of the United States. On Monday, the Canadians will face China’s Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2024.