Summer McIntosh, the current world record-holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle event, fell short of qualifying for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite initially vying for a second-place finish behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in the morning heat, McIntosh was narrowly out-touched, securing third place and ranking ninth overall with a time of 4:08.56, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. The final spot for the evening’s 10:07 p.m. ET final was clinched by China’s 15-year-old swimmer, Fan Yaqi, with a time of 4:08.36.
Acknowledging her misjudgment in the heats, the 19-year-old Canadian standout from Toronto, McIntosh, expressed her acceptance of responsibility on Instagram. She confirmed her participation in the B final at 10:01 p.m., where she will be joined by her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who finished 13th overall. The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
Having set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria last June, surpassing the mark previously held by the retired Ariarne Titmus of Australia, McIntosh had high expectations for the A final at the Pan Pacific Championships. The anticipated showdown in the A final featured American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky dominated the qualifiers with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister secured the fourth position with a time of 4:05.22.
In her Pan Pacs debut, McIntosh claimed silver in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event with a time of 1:53.86, trailing Pallister by a mere two-tenths of a second. Additionally, she shattered the championship record in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:28.01 and secured bronze in the women’s 200-meter freestyle relay alongside Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright. Scheduled to compete in the 200-meter individual medley on Saturday, McIntosh remains determined to showcase her skills at the championships.