Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh narrowly missed out on winning gold by a mere 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. Yu Yiting of China clinched the gold with a championship record time of 2:07.45, leaving McIntosh with the silver medal. American Alex Walsh secured the bronze with a time of 2:07.66.
During the race, Yu started strong on the butterfly leg, almost breaking the world record pace, but was overtaken by American Regan Smith on the backstroke. However, Yu regained the lead on the breaststroke and managed to hold off McIntosh in a close finish.
McIntosh, who hails from Toronto and holds the world record in this event, won silver in the 200m freestyle and gold in the 400m medley at the championships. She expressed her disappointment but acknowledged the learning experience, aiming to improve in the upcoming season.
In another event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage surprised everyone by winning the women’s 200m breaststroke final, beating reigning champion Kate Douglass of the United States. Lepage touched the wall in a personal best time of 2:21.73, while Douglass settled for second place in 2:22.57.
The Canadian team had a successful outing at the championships, securing a total of 13 medals (three gold, four silver, six bronze), marking their best performance since 1997. The U.S. led the medal standings with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35 and Canada in the third position.
The championships also saw Taylor Ruck setting a new Canadian record in the women’s 50m freestyle, finishing fourth in a highly competitive field. Meanwhile, Lani Pallister of Australia caused a major upset by defeating Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle event, handing Ledecky her first international loss in that event.
Overall, the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships showcased remarkable performances from athletes around the world, setting the stage for more exciting competitions in the future.