Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh narrowly missed out on claiming gold by just 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. The Toronto native, an Olympic and world champion, settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of 2:07.45.
Yu started strong, pacing below the world-record mark in the butterfly leg before Regan Smith of the U.S. took the lead in the backstroke. Yu regained the lead in the breaststroke and managed to hold off McIntosh in the final stretch. This silver marked McIntosh’s third individual medal at the event, having secured gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 200m freestyle. Additionally, she contributed to Canada’s bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh expressed disappointment but acknowledged the learning experience. Notably, she holds the world record for the event with a time of 2:05.70 set in 2025. The 19-year-old swimmer mentioned that she has gained invaluable experience and aims to continue learning and improving as she transitions into her twenties.
In a separate event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage clinched the women’s 200m breaststroke final, outperforming reigning Olympic and world champion Kate Douglass from the U.S. Lepage set a lifetime best of 2:21.73, leaving Douglass in second place with a time of 2:22.57. With this victory, Lepage expressed her surprise and excitement over her achievement.
Canada wrapped up the championships with a total of 13 medals, including three gold, four silver, and six bronze, marking their most successful performance at the Pan Pacific Championships since 1997. The United States led the overall medal tally with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35, and Canada in third place.
In other notable results, Taylor Ruck broke her own Canadian record in the women’s 50m freestyle, finishing fourth in a competitive final where Douglass set a new world record. Ruck expressed her satisfaction with the result, highlighting the rewards of her hard work throughout the year.
The competition also witnessed Australian Sam Short claiming victory in the men’s 1,500 free, setting a championship record with a time of 14:33.97. The men’s 50 free title went to Jamie Jack of Australia, who set a championship record as well. The Canadian contingent had several commendable performances across various events, contributing to the country’s successful showing at the championships.