Summer McIntosh, the current world record-holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle event, fell short in securing a spot in the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships held in Irvine, California. Despite initially vying for a second-place finish in the morning heat behind Australian swimmer Lani Pallister, McIntosh was narrowly outpaced, ultimately placing third and ninth overall with a time of 4 minutes and 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds slower than her record-setting time. The final spot in the A final was clinched by China’s 15-year-old swimmer, Fan Yaqi, who finished in 4:08.36.
Acknowledging her performance, the 19-year-old Canadian athlete, hailing from Toronto, expressed her readiness to compete in the B final scheduled for 10:01 p.m. alongside her teammate, Ella Cosgrove, who secured the 13th position overall. The event will be livestreamed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
In a statement shared on Instagram, McIntosh took full responsibility for her misjudgment during the morning heats and thanked her supporters, assuring them of her participation in the B final. Last June, McIntosh set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the record previously held by the retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus.
The anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center featured a showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky secured the top spot in the qualifying rounds with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister claimed the fourth position with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh’s debut at the Pan Pacifics included a silver medal in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event, where she finished second to Pallister. She followed this with a record-breaking performance in the 400-meter individual medley, clocking in at 4:28.01, and also contributed to a bronze medal win in the women’s 200-meter freestyle relay alongside Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright.
Looking ahead, McIntosh is set to compete in the 200-meter individual medley event on Saturday.