CBC anchor Scott Russell previews Canada’s competitors at this year’s Olympics – headed by 17-year-old swimming phenom Summer McIntosh
Three years after the highly unusual 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, postponed and held sans live spectators during the height of the pandemic in 2021, the Games are set to go forth again under normal, joyous and collective circumstances. Taking place in Paris, the City of Light has been preparing for their hosting duties for the past few years by improving already existing local resources, aiming to make these the most ecologically sustainable Olympics in history. The city has spent millions on cleaning up the Seine hoping to allow for swimming events in the iconic river, as was the case in the 1900 Paris Olympics. Ninety-five per cent of competition venues will be pre-existing or temporary, and what has been newly constructed is intended to serve the community long after the Olympics are over.
The majestic opening ceremony is, as of press time, set to take place on the Seine, with 10,000 athletes floating down the river towards the Eiffel Tower as thousands more gather on the banks to cheer them to glory. One of them is veteran CBC sports commentator Scott Russell, who believes the greatest triumph of this summer’s spectacle is the return of the spectator. “That’s going to be a major attraction in these Games,” he says. “Not only the athletes, but the people who will be watching the Games around the world, are really anticipating having fans back in the stadiums and all the venues. That presence of people who cheer for the athletes is going to make such a difference to everybody. It’s going to really lift them, after two Games with nobody in the stands.”
Among the Canadian delegation — more than 300 athletes competing in 31 sports — Russell has his eye on a few standouts. “I’m very intrigued by the emergence of Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old swimmer from the Toronto area,” he says. “She’s been the world champion twice in a couple of events. She’s breaking world records and she’s going to swim possibly seven events at the Olympic Games in Paris. I think she would have legitimate gold medal hopes in four of those.” On dry land, there are several potentially great stories Russell is eager to expand on. “The men’s 800m world champion is Marco Arop of Edmonton. He’s a young, aggressive runner who is a delightful guy to watch in one of the most difficult of the Olympic races,” the anchor explains. “The 800m is a gruelling race. It’s become close to a sprint and Marco’s got a chance to win the Olympic championship. That would be a first in Canadian history.”
In the hammer throw, Canada has two chances at a gold medal with Ethan Katzberg of Nanaimo, the youngest world hammer thrower champion in history, and Camryn Rogers from Richmond, the world champion currently smashing NCAA records and challenging world records on the women’s side. Shot putter Sarah Mitton, a world championship silver medallist, also has a chance of winning big this year, according to Russell. “There are some great Canadian stories at these Games,” he muses. “The beauty of the Olympics is that you have to make the team and you have to perform on the day. The Olympics are not a given. They are never a given.”
Having the competitions in the French capital feels, to Russell, as exceptional as the Games themselves. “This is where the modern Olympics were envisioned in 1894 and Paris will host the Olympic Games for the third time in its history. There’s an attraction to Paris because of all those iconic places that are in the city. And one of the things that will reflect this in a very symbolic way, but a significant way is the marathon. The marathon will trace the route of the Women’s March on Versailles in 1789, which is a turning point in the French Revolution. It will begin at the Hotel de Ville and travel out to Palace of Versailles, turn around and wind up back in the centre of the city. And it’s symbolic because these will be the first gender equal games in Olympic history. Back in 1924, when Paris last hosted the Games, I would say that maybe five per cent of the athletes who competed were women. Now it’s going to be 50 per cent.”
Having recently announced his retirement from broadcast journalism, Russell is all the more thrilled to serve as the eyes and ears for the viewer at the Olympics, one last time. “As a young person, you never think that day would arrive, but I’ve had a wonderful run,” he says. “I’ve covered 16 Olympic Games, these will be my 17th. It’s been a tremendous ride. I’ve seen so much through sport and seen sport grow and our commitment to it grow at CBC. I’ve made wonderful friendships and worked with the best people in the industry. It is time for another chapter.”
Before that new chapter begins, there is still an ending yet to play out in this current one — which Russell is eager to pre-write. “I’ll give you a bold prediction, and that is that I think the Canadian men’s basketball team will win a medal at the Games for the first time in a long, long time. We’re back in men’s basketball for the first time since Sydney 2000,” he says. “And the other bold prediction I will make is that I think that Summer McIntosh will win four gold medals in the pool at these Olympic Games . . . I hope it comes true.”
2024 Paris Olympic Games, airing on CBC