Teen athletes taking over the world (of sports!)  

Photo: Leah Hetteberg (Unsplash) 

In the past decade, sports fans have had the pleasure of witnessing some of the greatest athletes of all time write their names in history. The likes of LeBron James, Michael Phelps, Novak Djokovic, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Christine Sinclair, Diana Taurasi and many others have defined a generation of icons, making a massive impact on sports. 

However, there comes a time for the next generation to step up and carry on the legacies of past legends, writing their own stories in sports history.     

Currently, there are many young athletes under the age of 23 who are more than capable of carrying the torch. Here are a few of the young athletes who are already making history and may be the face of the next generation of athletic greatness.  

Photo: Jim De Ramos (Pexels) 

Léon Marchand – Swimming  

The summer of 2024 was the summer of Léon Marchand. The then 22-year-old Frenchman completely dominated the swimming pool and was one of the main storylines of the 2024 Paris Olympics.  

Marchand claimed four gold medals and one bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics, becoming a household name in the process. He won gold in the 200-metre breaststroke, 200-metre butterfly, 200-metre individual medley and 400-metre individual medley, while earning bronze in the 4×100-metre medley relay.  

Alongside his impressive Olympic resume, Léon Marchand also holds five gold medals and one silver medal from the World Aquatics Championships, along with a host of records to his name.  

Some of these records include Olympic records in the 200-metre individual medley and 200-metre breaststroke, with times of 1:56.06 and 2:05.85. Marchand also holds the world record in the 400-metre individual medley with a time of 4:02.50, surpassing the record set by the legendary Michael Phelps by a remarkable 1.34 seconds.  

As Léon Marchand is only 23 years old, he is likely to be one of the best swimmers of the next decade and one of the most legendary and recognizable figures in swimming since Michael Phelps.  

Summer McIntosh – Swimming  

Everyone expected Summer McIntosh to turn into a modern Canadian sports legend when she made her Olympic debut as a 14-year-old during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and what she has done since then is nothing short of remarkable.  

Summer McIntosh impressed many when she became Canada’s youngest Olympian at Tokyo 2020 and came close to winning a medal. She finished fourth in the 400-metre freestyle with a time of 4:02.42, which was a Canadian record, and finished fourth in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay.  

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Summer McIntosh truly dominated. She won three gold medals in the 200-metre butterfly, 200-metre individual medley and 400-metre individual medley. She also won a silver medal in the 400 m freestyle.   

Along with her impressive medal record, Summer McIntosh also holds numerous world and Olympic records. She set Olympic records in the 200-metre butterfly and 200-metre individual medley with times of 2:03.03 and 2:06.56, respectively.  

McIntosh holds world records in multiple long-course (50-metre pool) and short-course (25-metre pool) events. At the 2025 Canadian Trials, she set three world records for the long-course pool in the 400-metre freestyle (3:54.18), 200-metre individual medley (2:05.70) and 400-metre individual medley (4:23.65).  

Summer McIntosh is only 19 years old, yet she has achieved so much in her career so far. She will only continue to grow and improve as an athlete as she evolves into the face of Canada’s swimming program and Olympic team for many years to come.