Toronto’s Summer McIntosh began her competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event held in Irvine, California. The 19-year-old, participating in the championships for the first time, finished with a time of 1:53.86, narrowly behind Australia’s Lani Pallister who set a championship record of 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather from New Zealand claimed the third spot with a time of 1:55.05.
Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh expressed some self-critique, mentioning that she felt she didn’t start the race fast enough and her turns weren’t optimal. She acknowledged that she has room for improvement and aims to work towards achieving her goal of winning at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
During the race, Pallister initially led by a slight margin, but McIntosh took the lead at the 100-meter mark before Pallister reclaimed it at the 150-meter point. McIntosh had not competed in the 200 freestyle internationally since the 2023 world championships.
McIntosh, primarily a 400 freestyler, explained that her training for the 200 freestyle aligns well with her weekly routine. She chose not to participate in the 200 butterfly event but will compete in the 200 individual medley, 400 free, and 400 IM in Irvine.
In addition to her individual accomplishments, McIntosh has set world records in the 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 400 free, and 400 IM events. Following a period of recovery due to illness, she is now fully prepared for the Pan Pacs competition.
In another event, Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney clinched the gold medal in the men’s 100m backstroke with a time of 53.18 seconds, showcasing strong performance and closing speed. This victory marked Tierney’s first international gold medal in his career.
Taylor Ruck, from Kelowna, contributed to the Canadian medal tally by securing bronze in the women’s 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke finals. Ruck also participated in the 100m backstroke final, finishing with a time of 58.40. The day concluded with the Canadian 4×100 medley relay team, consisting of Ruck, Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, winning bronze with a time of 3:43.22.
The United States claimed gold in the 4×100 medley relay with a world-record time of 3:36.70, followed by Australia in second place. Canada’s bronze-winning team finished the competition on a high note, rounding out the podium.
