Summer McIntosh, the current world record holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, did not qualify for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite initially contending for a second-place finish behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in a morning heat, McIntosh narrowly came in third, securing the ninth overall spot with a time of 4 minutes and 8.56 seconds, which was notably 14 seconds slower than her record time. Fan Yaqi of China, aged 15, clinched the eighth and final spot for the 10:07 p.m. ET final with a time of 4:08.36.
In response to the outcome, the 19-year-old Canadian swimmer from Toronto expressed her accountability, acknowledging her misjudgment in the morning heats via an Instagram post. McIntosh confirmed her participation in the B final scheduled for 10:01 p.m., where she will be joined by her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who placed 13th overall.
The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh, who had previously set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria last June, surpassing the record set by Australia’s Ariarne Titmus in 2023, competed in the A final against top swimmers like Katie Ledecky and Pallister.
On Wednesday, McIntosh secured a silver medal in the women’s 200-meter freestyle, finishing just behind Pallister with a time of 1:53.86. She continued her success on Thursday by breaking the championship record in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:28.01 and also contributed to winning a bronze medal in the women’s 200-meter freestyle relay with her teammates. Looking ahead, McIntosh is set to compete in the 200-meter individual medley on Saturday at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.
