Canadian swimming sensation, Summer McIntosh, narrowly missed out on claiming gold by a mere 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. The Toronto native, who holds both Olympic and world titles, settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who clinched victory with a championship-record time of 2:07.45 in Irvine, Calif. American swimmer Alex Walsh secured the bronze with a time of 2:07.66.
Yu started strong, swimming under world-record pace in the butterfly leg, but American Regan Smith briefly took the lead during the backstroke phase. However, Yu regained control during the breaststroke segment and managed to hold off McIntosh in the final stretch.
This marked McIntosh’s third individual medal of the competition, following her gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 200m freestyle. Additionally, McIntosh contributed to Canada’s bronze medal in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh expressed her disappointment but acknowledged the learning experience, aiming to improve in the upcoming season. Notably, McIntosh holds the world record in the event with a time of 2:05.70 achieved during the 2025 Canadian trials.
In other events, Alexanne Lepage of Canada secured gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, outpacing reigning Olympic champion Kate Douglass. Lani Pallister of Australia created an upset by defeating Katie Ledecky in the women’s 800m freestyle, marking Ledecky’s first international loss in the event.
Overall, Canada concluded the championships with an impressive tally of 13 medals, including three gold, four silver, and six bronze, marking the country’s most successful performance at the Pan Pacific Championships since 1997. The United States led the medal standings with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35 and Canada.
The event also witnessed notable achievements, such as Taylor Ruck setting a new Canadian record in the women’s 50m freestyle, and various swimmers breaking records and achieving personal bests across different disciplines.
