Toronto’s Summer McIntosh kicked off her race schedule at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, Calif., with a second-place finish in the women’s 200-meter freestyle. The 19-year-old, making her debut at the event, clocked a time of 1:53.86, trailing Australia’s Lani Pallister, who set a championship record at 1:53.67. New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather finished third with a time of 1:55.05 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
After the race, McIntosh expressed some self-criticism, mentioning that she felt she could have started faster and that her turns were not optimal. She emphasized the need to focus on improvement and learning from the experience, aiming to achieve better results in future competitions leading up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
During the race, Pallister initially led McIntosh by a small margin, but the Canadian took the lead at the halfway mark. However, Pallister regained the lead in the final stretch, ultimately securing the victory.
McIntosh, primarily a 400 freestyler, highlighted that training for the 200 freestyle fits well into her regular training regimen. She had not competed in the 200 free on the international stage since the 2023 world championships.
Additionally, McIntosh mentioned her plans to participate in other events at the Pan Pacific Championships, including the 200 individual medley, 400 free, and 400 IM. She qualified for the 200 free final with a time of 1:55.85, aiming to improve and possibly challenge the world record held by Titmus.
In another event, Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney claimed gold in the men’s 100m backstroke, showcasing a strong finish. Tierney expressed satisfaction with his performance, acknowledging room for improvement despite his success in the competition.
Taylor Ruck, from Kelowna, secured a bronze medal in the women’s 50m butterfly and later added another bronze in the 100m backstroke final. Ruck set a Canadian record in the 50m butterfly event and emphasized the positive energy and competitive spirit that fueled her performances.
To conclude the day, the Canadian 4×100 medley relay team, consisting of Ruck, Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, clinched a bronze medal. The United States and Australia secured gold and silver, respectively, in the same event at the Pan Pacific Championships.
The achievements of McIntosh, Tierney, and Ruck contributed to a successful day for the Canadian swimmers at the prestigious swimming competition.