Toronto’s Summer McIntosh began her competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle. The 19-year-old, making her debut at the event, finished with a time of 1 minute 53.86 seconds, closely behind Australia’s Lani Pallister, who set a championship record with a time of 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather of New Zealand took third place with a time of 1:55.05 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
In a post-race interview with CBC Sports Devin Heroux, McIntosh expressed her thoughts on the race, mentioning that she believed she could have performed better by starting faster and improving her turns. She acknowledged the room for improvement, aiming to achieve better results leading up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
During the race, Pallister initially led McIntosh by 0.04 seconds at the 50-meter mark, but McIntosh took the lead by 0.12 seconds at the 100-meter mark. Despite McIntosh’s efforts to maintain her lead at 150 meters, Pallister eventually overtook her by 0.09 seconds.
McIntosh, known for excelling in the 200 butterfly, chose not to compete in that event on this occasion. She is set to participate in the 200 individual medley, 400 freestyle, and 400 individual medley in Irvine. McIntosh qualified for the 200 free final with a time of 1:55.85, expressing her desire to achieve a time of 1:52, which is currently held by the retired Titmus.
Notably, McIntosh holds world records in the 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley, 400 freestyle, and 400 individual medley in long-course competitions. After overcoming an illness following the Canadian trials, she has been preparing diligently for the Pan Pacific Championships and is in peak physical condition for the event.
In another event, Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney clinched the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, finishing with a time of 53.18 seconds. This victory marked Tierney’s first international gold medal, highlighting the success of his training efforts leading up to the competition.
Taylor Ruck also contributed to Canada’s success by securing a bronze medal in the women’s 50-meter butterfly and adding another bronze in the 100-meter backstroke. She set a new Canadian record in the 50-meter butterfly final with a time of 25.23 seconds.
To conclude the day, the Canadian team secured a bronze medal in the 4×100 medley relay, featuring Ruck, Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox. The United States team claimed gold with a world-record time, while Australia secured the silver medal.
The performances at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships showcased the talent and determination of Canadian swimmers, including McIntosh, Tierney, and Ruck, as they strive for excellence on the international stage.