Summer McIntosh from Toronto began her competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event. This marked her debut at the competition. She finished with a time of 1:53.86, trailing behind Australia’s Lani Pallister, who set a championship record of 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather of New Zealand claimed the third spot with a time of 1:55.05 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
Expressing her thoughts after the race, McIntosh mentioned to CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux that she believed she could have started faster and improved her turns. She admitted to overthinking during the race, affecting her performance. Despite the disappointment, she acknowledged the learning experience, emphasizing her goal to strive towards winning at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
During the race, Pallister initially led McIntosh by a narrow margin of 4-100ths of a second at the 50-meter mark. McIntosh then took the lead by 12-100ths at the halfway point but was surpassed by Pallister by 9-100ths at the 150-meter mark.
Before this event, McIntosh had not competed in the 200 freestyle on the international stage since the 2023 world championships. She mentioned that her training for the 200 freestyle complemented her preparation for the 400 freestyle event.
In upcoming events at the Pan Pacific Championships, McIntosh opted out of the 200 butterfly and will compete in the 200 individual medley, 400 freestyle, and 400 individual medley. She qualified for the 200 free final with a time of 1:55.85 and aims to achieve a time of 1:52, which is the current world record held by Titmus.
McIntosh holds world records in four individual long-course events, including the 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley, 400 freestyle, and 400 individual medley. She recently recovered from an illness that forced her to withdraw from the Canadian trials.
In the men’s 100m backstroke, Blake Tierney of Saskatoon clinched the gold medal with a time of 53.18 seconds. This victory marked Tierney’s first international gold medal, and he expressed satisfaction with his performance but acknowledged areas for improvement.
Taylor Ruck also contributed to Canada’s success by securing two bronze medals in the women’s 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke events. Additionally, she was part of the Canadian 4×100 medley relay team that won bronze. Ruck set a new Canadian record in the 50m butterfly event.
The evening concluded with Canada’s 4×100 medley relay team, comprising Ruck, Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, claiming the bronze medal. The United States and Australia secured the gold and silver medals, respectively, in this event.
This successful start at the Pan Pacific Championships showcased Canada’s talent and potential in the world of competitive swimming.
