Toronto’s Summer McIntosh started her competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships by finishing second in the women’s 200-meter freestyle in Irvine, California. The 19-year-old completed the race in 1:53.86, just behind Australia’s Lani Pallister, who set a championship record with a time of 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather of New Zealand took third place with a time of 1:55.05. Despite her performance, McIntosh expressed some disappointment, feeling that she could have done better with faster starts and turns. She aims to keep improving towards her goal of winning 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 before being surpassed again by Pallister towards the end. This event marked McIntosh’s return to the 200 free on the international stage since the 2023 world championships.
McIntosh, a 400-meter freestyler, also plans to compete 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 set by Titmus at the Australian Olympic trials in 2024.
In another event, Blake Tierney from Saskatoon secured a gold medal in the men’s 100m backstroke with a time of 53.18 seconds. This victory marked Tierney’s first international gold medal win, and he expressed satisfaction with his performance, acknowledging room for improvement.
Taylor Ruck, representing Canada, earned two bronze medals in the women’s 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke finals. Ruck set a Canadian record in the 50m butterfly with a time of 25.23 seconds. In the 100m backstroke, she finished behind two American swimmers, Kate Douglass and Regan Smith. Ruck highlighted the positive energy and competitive spirit that fueled her success in both events.
Ruck also contributed to Canada’s success in the 4×100 medley relay, along with Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, securing a bronze medal with a time of 3:43.22. The United States clinched gold in this event with a world-record time of 3:36.70, followed by Australia in second place with a time of 3:39.30.