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, who is the reigning Olympic and world champion, clinched the silver medal behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of 2:07.45. American Alex Walsh secured the bronze with a time of 2:07.66.
Yu started strong on the opening butterfly leg, almost breaking the world record pace, but American Regan Smith took the lead during the backstroke. Yu regained the lead on the breaststroke leg and managed to hold off McIntosh in the final meters. McIntosh’s performance in the 200m medley marks her third individual medal at the championship, having won gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 200m freestyle. She also contributed to Canada’s bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Despite narrowly missing the gold, McIntosh expressed satisfaction with her performance, calling it one of her best swims of the meet. Looking ahead, she emphasized the need for reflection and improvement for the upcoming season. The 19-year-old holds the world record in the event, achieved with a time of 2:05.70 during the 2025 Canadian trials.
In another event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage secured gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke by setting a lifetime best time of 2:21.73, outpacing reigning Olympic and world champion Kate Douglass of the United States, who finished in second place with a time of 2:22.57. Lepage expressed her surprise and delight at her victory, while Sophie Angus of Canada finished eighth in the same event.
Canada concluded the championships with a total of 13 medals (three gold, four silver, six bronze), marking its 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.
Taylor Ruck of Canada set a new national record in the women’s 50m freestyle, finishing fourth with a time of 24.23. Ruck expressed her satisfaction with the result, highlighting the importance of hard work paying off. She had previously set the Canadian record in 2018 with a time of 24.26.
In a surprising turn of events, Australian swimmer Lani Pallister defeated Katie Ledecky in the women’s 800m freestyle, marking Ledecky’s first international loss in the event. Pallister finished with a time of 8:06.10, erasing Ledecky’s championship record. Ledecky secured the silver medal with a time of 8:07.26, while Pallister’s victory ended Ledecky’s dominant run in the event since 2010.
The championships also saw notable performances in the men’s events, with Australian Sam Short winning the men’s 1,500 free in a championship record time of 14:33.97. Jamie Jack of Australia claimed victory in the men’s 50 free, setting a new championship record with a time of 21.35.
Overall, the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships showcased remarkable performances and unexpected outcomes across various events, setting the stage for future competitions and achievements in the world of swimming.