Canadian swimmers Taylor Ruck and Summer McIntosh had contrasting results at the Pan Pacific championships in Irvine, California. Ruck secured a silver medal in the women’s 100m butterfly and later added a bronze as part of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, marking her fourth and fifth medals of the event. Ruck’s personal-best time of 56.71 seconds in the 100m butterfly placed her behind American Gretchen Walsh, who clinched gold in 55.15 seconds. Australian Alexandria Perkins took the bronze with a time of 56.75.
Ruck expressed her satisfaction with her performance, stating, “This one [the women’s 100m butterfly] was a lot of fun.” She highlighted the importance of rest and relaxation in her success. McIntosh, on the other hand, faced disappointment after failing to qualify for the A final of the women’s 400m freestyle event, despite winning the B final. McIntosh took full responsibility for her misjudgment and expressed frustration with her performance.
In the men’s events, Canadians Blake Tierney and Ethan Ekk secured silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s 200m backstroke. Tierney won the men’s 100m backstroke earlier in the competition, marking a significant achievement in his career. McIntosh, determined to bounce back, will compete in the 200m IM event, where she holds the world record.
Ruck continued her successful run by leading Canada to a bronze medal in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay event alongside her teammates. The U.S. team claimed gold in the event, with Australia securing silver. Unfortunately, the Canadian men’s 4x100m freestyle team narrowly missed a podium spot, finishing fourth behind the U.S., Australia, and Japan.