Summer McIntosh, the record-holder in the women’s 400m freestyle, fell short of qualifying for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite being in a position to secure second place behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in the morning heat, McIntosh was narrowly out-touched to finish in third place, placing ninth overall with a time of 4:08.56, 14 seconds off her record time. China’s 15-year-old swimmer Fan Yaqi claimed the final spot for the evening final in 4:08.36.
The Canadian sensation from Toronto, aged 19, acknowledged her misjudgment in the morning heats and expressed her gratitude for the support, mentioning her participation in the B final at 10:01 p.m. alongside teammate Ella Cosgrove, who ranked 13th overall. The live stream for the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
In June, McIntosh set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the previous mark held by retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus. The highly anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was expected to feature a showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky led the qualifiers with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister secured the fourth spot with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh, who made her Pan Pacs debut on Wednesday by winning silver in the women’s 200m freestyle, followed up with impressive performances, breaking the championship record in the 400m individual medley and earning a bronze in the women’s 200m freestyle relay. She is set to compete in the 200m individual medley on Saturday.
The young Canadian swimmer expressed her belief that she could have performed better in the competition, showcasing her determination and sportsmanship.