Andrew Lahodynskyj/COC
Swimmer Maggie Mac Neil achieved something no other athlete had done before her at the same edition of the Pan American Games.
She won five gold medals and seven medals in total at Santiago 2023. In doing so, she set the record for the largest number of gold medals won by a Canadian athlete at the same edition of these quadrennial Continental Games.
Mac Neil won a total of seven medals in Santiago, as did his teammate Mary-Sophie Harvey. They are both the second-most decorated Canadian athletes at the same Games, behind Willie Weiler, who won eight medals at the 1963 Pan American Games. This means they are the Canadian athletes who have won the most medals in the same Games participation.
Here are some of the accomplishments that have made Maggie an exceptional athlete over her years representing Team Canada.
The Queen of the Panama Pool
Mac Neil made a strong impression at his first Pan American Games. Even before the competition began, her photo was everywhere, as she had been selected by Panam Sports as one of their ambassadors for Santiago 2023.
When the swimming competitions began, she was omnipresent on the podium. On day one, she was a member of the quartet that won gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay. On the second day, she won the gold medal in her favorite event, the 100 m butterfly, with a Pan American Games record of 56.94 seconds. She also added a bronze medal in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay to her collection. As the third runner, her performance contributed significantly to Canada reaching the podium.
On the third day, she topped the podium again, winning gold in the 100 m freestyle and setting another Pan American Games record with a time of 53.64 seconds. Before the end of the day, she also won a silver medal in the mixed 4×100 m medley relay.
On day four, Mac Neil won her fourth gold medal of the Games when she took first place in the 50m freestyle, a distance where she said she doesn’t have much international experience.
She finished the competition on day five with her fifth gold medal in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.
2019: A sensational entry into the international scene
It’s hard to believe that Mac Neil only competed in his first World Swimming Championships four years ago. His international debut was exceptional! In her first senior international competition, she beat a real star, Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström, to become world champion in the 100m butterfly. Mac Neil set a Canadian record, an American record and a Commonwealth record of 55.83 seconds, beating the reigning Olympic champion and four-time world champion as well as the world record holder in the test.
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Gold medalist Margaret MacNeil of Canada (center) poses next to silver medalist Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden (right) and bronze medalist Emma McKeon of Australia after the medal ceremony for the women’s 100m butterfly final at the World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, on Monday, July 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
There are also two bronze medals in the women’s 4×100 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relay. It’s no surprise that she was named “Reveal of the Year” by Swimming Natation Canada.
Tokyo 2020: Fantastic Olympic debut
Mac Neil had to wait a little longer than expected to compete in his first Olympics. Like many athletes in the first year of the pandemic, she had to get creative to keep up, training in the backyard pool of her family home. That determination definitely paid off when she finally got the opportunity to swim in the Olympics.
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Margaret Mac Neil reacts after winning the gold medal in the women’s 100m butterfly at the Tokyo 2020 Games on Monday, July 26, 2021. Photo Darren Calabrese/COC -
Canadian swimmer Margaret MacNeil wins the gold medal in the women’s 100m butterfly at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Monday, July 26, 2021. Photo by Darren Calabrese/COC -
Canadian swimmer Margaret MacNeil competes in the women’s 100m butterfly at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Monday, July 26, 2021. Photo by Darren Calabrese/COC.
Mac Neil was Canada’s first gold medalist Tokyo 2020, cementing her status as the one to beat in the 100m butterfly. She also amazed many observers with her appearance. While she was in seventh place after the first 50 meters, she accelerated in the final 50 meters with her later underwater leg kicks and touched the wall in a Canadian and American record: 55.59 seconds.
She left Tokyo as a three-time Olympic medalist and also played a key role in the women’s 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays, which won silver and bronze.
2022: Prioritize your well-being
While many predicted that Mac Neil would continue to maintain her dominance in the 100m butterfly in 2022, she did not hesitate to do what was best for her.
Although she always considered herself “invincible,” being an Olympic and World Champion brought a lot of pressure and fear to her. She courageously expressed her concerns about the challenges she faced and with the support of Swimming Canada, a plan was developed. Mac Neil still wanted to represent Canada, but she took a step back and only competed in relay events at the 2022 World Aquatic Swimming Championships. She returned from Budapest pleased with the silver and bronze medals she won in the women’s 4×100 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relays.
2023: Return to the podium
By 2023, having given her mental health the attention it deserved, Mac Neil was ready to return to competing in her individual events and swimming at the highest level. At the World Swimming Championships she reached the podium again in the 100 m butterfly and won the silver medal. And just like in the previous four years, Mac Neil swam the butterfly in the women’s 4x100m medley relay and won a bronze medal.
At just 23 years old, Mac Neil is undoubtedly a leader for Team Canada, both in the water and on land.
Santiago 2023 Pan American Games content hub
Follow Team Canada’s journey to the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Santiago 2023 Pan American Games content hub
Follow Team Canada’s journey to the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
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