Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh narrowly missed out on the gold medal by 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. The Toronto native settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of two minutes and 7.45 seconds in Irvine, California. American Alex Walsh secured the bronze in 2:07.66.
Yu Yiting started strong, swimming under world-record pace in the butterfly leg, but American Regan Smith briefly took the lead during the backstroke. Yu reclaimed the lead in the breaststroke and managed to hold off McIntosh in the final stretch.
This event marked McIntosh’s third individual medal at the championship, having previously won gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 200m freestyle. Additionally, she contributed to Canada’s bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh expressed that while it was one of her better swims at the meet, she aims to improve for the upcoming season. At 19 years old, McIntosh competed in her final individual race as a teenager, acknowledging her achievements and looking forward to further growth in her twenties.
In another event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage clinched the gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, outperforming reigning champion Kate Douglass of the United States. Lepage led the race from start to finish, setting a personal best time of 2:21.73. Douglass secured silver in 2:22.57, while Kaylene Corbett from South Africa took the bronze in 2:22.97.
Canada finished the championships with a total of 13 medals, including three gold, four silver, and six bronze, marking their most successful performance since 1997. The United States topped the overall medal standings with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35 and Canada with 13.
Moreover, Taylor Ruck set a new Canadian record in the women’s 50m freestyle, clocking 24.23 seconds and finishing fourth in a highly competitive final where Douglass set a world record with a time of 23.19.
The championship also witnessed other notable performances, including Lani Pallister of Australia defeating Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle, and Sam Short of Australia setting a championship record in the men’s 1,500m freestyle. The event showcased outstanding achievements and fierce competition among top swimmers from around the world.
