Toronto’s Summer McIntosh kicked off her performance at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle in Irvine, Calif. The 19-year-old finished the race in 1 minute 53.86 seconds, trailing behind Australia’s Lani Pallister who set a championship record of 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather from New Zealand claimed the third spot with a time of 1:55.05 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
After the race, McIntosh expressed her thoughts to CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux, stating that she believes she could have started faster and felt she was overthinking rather than focusing on racing. Despite the disappointment, McIntosh is determined to learn from the experience and work towards her goal of winning the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Pallister initially led the race by a fraction of a second, but McIntosh took the lead at the halfway point. However, Pallister managed to overtake McIntosh in the final stretch of the race.
Before this event, McIntosh had not competed in the 200 free internationally since the 2023 world championships. She mentioned that training for the 200 freestyle aligns well with her schedule as a 400 freestyler.
Apart from the 200 free, McIntosh will also participate in the 200 individual medley, 400 free, and 400 IM in Irvine. She qualified for the 200 free final with a time of 1:55.85, aiming to beat the world record of 1:52.23 set by Titmus in June 2024.
In other events, Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney clinched the gold in the men’s 100m backstroke, setting a time of 53.18 seconds. Tierney expressed satisfaction with his performance and highlighted the importance of continuous improvement.
Furthermore, Taylor Ruck secured two bronze medals in the women’s 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke events. She set new Canadian records in both races, showcasing her talent and determination on the international stage.
To conclude the day, Canada’s 4×100 medley relay team, comprising Ruck, Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, secured a bronze medal with a final time of 3:43.22. The United States and Australia claimed gold and silver, respectively, in the same event with impressive performances.
Overall, Canadian swimmers displayed strong performances at the championships, setting records and making their mark on the international swimming stage.
