Summer McIntosh, the current world record-holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle event, fell short of qualifying for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite being in contention to secure a second-place finish behind Australia’s Lani Pallister during the morning heat, McIntosh was narrowly edged out to claim third place and ninth overall with a time of 4 minutes 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds slower than her record-breaking time. China’s 15-year-old athlete, Fan Yaqi, clinched the final spot for the A final at 10:07 p.m. ET with a time of 4:08.36.
The 19-year-old Canadian sensation, hailing from Toronto, expressed her determination to compete in the B final at 10:01 p.m. alongside her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who finished 13th overall. McIntosh took to Instagram, taking full responsibility for her performance in the morning heats and expressing gratitude for the support she received.
The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh had previously broken the record with a time of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria last June, surpassing the previous record set by Australia’s Ariarne Titmus at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
The highly anticipated A final, set outdoors at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, was expected to be a fierce competition among American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky led the qualifiers with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister secured the fourth spot with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh had an impressive debut at the Pan Pacifics by earning a silver medal in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event and subsequently shattered the championship record in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:28.01. She also contributed to winning a bronze medal in the women’s 200 free relay alongside Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright.
Looking ahead, McIntosh is scheduled to compete in the 200 IM on Saturday as she continues her pursuit of success at the championships.