Canadian swimmers Taylor Ruck and Summer McIntosh had contrasting performances at the Pan Pacific championships in Irvine, California. Ruck secured a silver medal in the women’s 100m butterfly and later added a bronze as part of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, bringing her total medals in the competition to five. Meanwhile, McIntosh, the 19-year-old from Toronto, expressed disappointment after winning the B final of the women’s 400m freestyle event due to failing to qualify for the A final.
Ruck, hailing from Kelowna, B.C., achieved a personal best time of 56.71 seconds in the 100m butterfly, finishing behind American Gretchen Walsh. McIntosh, the current world-record holder, acknowledged her mistake in the morning heats that led to her missing the A final of the 400m freestyle event. She expressed frustration and vowed to learn from the experience.
In other events, Canadian swimmers Blake Tierney and Ethan Ekk claimed silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s 200m backstroke. Tierney, from Toronto, won the men’s 100m backstroke earlier in the competition, securing his first international gold medal. McIntosh, despite her setback, will compete in the 200m IM event, where she holds world records and is an Olympic and world champion.
Ruck continued her success by guiding Canada to a bronze medal in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, alongside her teammates. The U.S. women’s team clinched gold in the event, while Australia took silver. The Canadian men’s 4x100m freestyle team narrowly missed the podium, finishing in fourth place behind the U.S., Australia, and Japan.