After clinching three individual swimming gold medals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and four at the previous year’s world championships in Singapore, Summer McIntosh is aiming for five solo golds at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a feat only achieved by Michael Phelps in 2008 in Beijing. While flying over SoFi Stadium, the designated swimming venue for the 2028 Olympics, McIntosh was filled with excitement and inspiration for her upcoming goals.
Attending the Pan Pacific championships in Irvine, California, McIntosh embarks on her journey to L.A., where she competes against swimming powerhouses like Australia, the United States, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, China, and Canada. The Pan Pacs, held every four years, offer a platform for elite swimmers to showcase their talent, with the current edition commencing with open-water events in Long Beach before transitioning to the pool competitions in Irvine.
Leading a team of 42 Canadian swimmers at the Pan Pacs, McIntosh will participate in four events, starting with the 200m freestyle and culminating with the 200m individual medley. Despite skipping the 800m freestyle and the 200m butterfly, events where she has excelled in the past, McIntosh remains focused on her current lineup, which aligns with her training regimen under the guidance of her coach, Bob Bowman.
McIntosh’s main rival at the Pan Pacs is expected to be American swimmer Katie Ledecky, with whom she has shared victories and defeats in recent competitions. Alongside Ledecky, other international stars like Australia’s Lanni Pallister and Zac Stubblety-Cook, as well as top American swimmers Bobby Finke, Kate Douglass, and Gretchen Walsh, will add excitement to the highly anticipated swimming event.
Fans can catch all the thrilling races at the Pan Pacs live on the CBC Gem streaming app and the CBC Sports website, with morning heats starting at 1 p.m. ET and the finals at 10 p.m. ET daily. A detailed schedule with exact start times for the finals is available for viewers to plan their viewing experience.