Summer McIntosh, the Canadian swimming sensation, is aiming for an extraordinary feat at the upcoming 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after her impressive wins at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the world championships in Singapore last year. Her goal is to secure five individual gold medals, matching the record set by legendary swimmer Michael Phelps during the 2008 Beijing Games, where he won eight gold medals.
During a recent flight to southern California, McIntosh was exhilarated when she saw SoFi Stadium, the venue that will be transformed into the largest swimming facility in Olympic history for the 2028 Games, accommodating around 38,000 spectators. The 19-year-old from Toronto expressed her excitement about her aspirations for the upcoming Olympics.
McIntosh is currently in Irvine, California, for the Pan Pacific championships, a major event featuring top swimmers from countries like Australia, the United States, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, China, and Canada. The competition, which is held every four years, kicked off with the 10-kilometre open-water races in Long Beach and will continue with pool events in Irvine.
Among the Canadian contingent is Taylor Ruck, who clinched victories in all her events at the recent Canadian trials. McIntosh, the star of the Canadian team, will be competing in four events over the course of the championship, starting with the 200m freestyle and culminating with the 200m individual medley.
While McIntosh opted out of the 800m freestyle and the 200m butterfly to focus on other events, she holds world records and reigning titles in her planned competitions at the Pan Pacs. Her main rival, American swimmer Katie Ledecky, will provide stiff competition in the 400m freestyle event, adding to the anticipation surrounding McIntosh’s performances.
Fans can catch all the action from the Pan Pacific championships live on the CBC Gem streaming app and CBC Sports website, with morning heats starting at 1 p.m. ET and finals at 10 p.m. ET each day.