Summer McIntosh from Toronto began her competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event in Irvine, California. The 19-year-old finished with a time of 1:53.86, trailing behind Australia’s Lani Pallister, who set a championship record of 1:53.67. New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather claimed the third spot with a time of 1:55.05. Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh acknowledged that she could have done better and aims to improve for future competitions, especially targeting success at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
During the race, Pallister initially led McIntosh by a small margin, but McIntosh took the lead at the 100-meter mark. However, Pallister eventually regained the lead in the final stretch of the race. McIntosh expressed her disappointment but emphasized the learning experience from the competition.
Before this event, McIntosh had not competed in the 200 freestyle at an international level since the 2023 world championships. She noted that her training for the 200 freestyle aligns well with her preparation for the 400 freestyle, making it a natural addition to her competition schedule.
McIntosh, who opted out of the 200 butterfly event, will participate in the 200 individual medley, 400 freestyle, and 400 individual medley races at the championships. She qualified for the 200 free final with a time of 1:55.85, aiming to break the world record set by Titmus in 2024.
In other events, Blake Tierney of Saskatoon clinched the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke with a time of 53.18 seconds, marking his first international gold medal. Tierney credited his success to his dedicated training regimen, securing his position as the Canadian record holder in the event.
Taylor Ruck, a 26-year-old swimmer from Kelowna, propelled Canada’s medal count by earning bronze in the women’s 50-meter butterfly final and the 100-meter backstroke final. Ruck set a new Canadian record in the 50-meter butterfly event. She also contributed to Canada’s success in the 4×100 medley relay, along with teammates Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, clinching a bronze medal. The United States and Australia secured the first and second positions, respectively, in the relay event.
The Canadian team’s performance at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships showcased their talent and determination, with McIntosh, Tierney, Ruck, and their teammates contributing to Canada’s success in the competition.
