Summer McIntosh, the current world record-holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle event, fell short of qualifying for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite being in contention to secure a second-place finish behind Australia’s Lani Pallister during the morning heat, McIntosh was narrowly outpaced, coming in third and ranking ninth overall with a time of 4 minutes 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds off her record-setting pace. 15-year-old Fan Yaqi from China secured the final spot for the evening final at 10:07 p.m. ET with a time of 4:08.36.
Acknowledging her performance, the 19-year-old Canadian athlete from Toronto expressed her accountability for misjudging the morning heats in a statement on Instagram. McIntosh, along with her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who placed 13th overall, will be competing in the B final at 10:01 p.m. The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
Notably, McIntosh had set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in June, surpassing the previous mark held by the retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus. The anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was expected to feature a competitive showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky secured the top spot in the qualifiers with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister followed in fourth place with a time of 4:05.22.
Summer McIntosh made her Pan Pacs debut by claiming a silver medal in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event and later broke the championship record in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:28.01. Additionally, she contributed to the bronze medal victory in the women’s 200 free relay alongside Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright. McIntosh is set to compete in the 200 IM event on Saturday.
Overall, McIntosh’s journey at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships has showcased her resilience and determination, despite facing challenges along the way.