Summer McIntosh, the current world record holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, did not qualify for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. In the morning heat, she narrowly missed finishing second to Australia’s Lani Pallister, coming in third and ninth overall with a time of 4:08.56, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. China’s Fan Yaqi, aged 15, secured the final spot for the evening final at 10:07 p.m. ET with a time of 4:08.36. McIntosh, a 19-year-old Canadian athlete from Toronto, announced that she and her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who placed 13th overall, would be competing in the B final at 10:01 p.m.
McIntosh took responsibility for her performance in the morning heats, admitting her misjudgment in an Instagram post. She expressed gratitude for the support and looked forward to competing in the B final. The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
Last June, McIntosh set a new record time of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the previous mark set by the now-retired Ariarne Titmus of Australia in 2023. The highly anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center featured top contenders like American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky led the qualifying rounds with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister secured fourth place with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh made her debut at the Pan Pacific Championships by winning silver in the women’s 200 free, finishing closely behind Pallister. She continued her success with a record-breaking performance in the 400 individual medley and a bronze medal in the women’s 200 free relay. McIntosh is set to compete in the 200 IM on Saturday.
Following her victory in the 400m individual medley, McIntosh shared her thoughts with CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux. She reflected on her performance and expressed her happiness at winning the gold medal.