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 for a second-place finish behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in the morning heat, McIntosh was narrowly out-touched to secure the third spot, placing ninth overall with a time of 4:08.56, which was 14 seconds slower than her record-breaking time. China’s 15-year-old swimmer, Fan Yaqi, clinched the final spot for the A final at 10:07 p.m. ET with a time of 4:08.36.
Acknowledging her performance, the 19-year-old Canadian sensation from Toronto announced that she will participate in the B final at 10:01 p.m., alongside her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who finished 13th overall. McIntosh expressed her gratitude for the support she has received and took responsibility for her performance in the morning heats, promising to give her best in the upcoming final.
The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh’s journey has been a rollercoaster at the Pan Pacifics, from winning her first-ever Pan Pacific title in the women’s 400-meter individual medley to missing out on the A final in the 400-meter freestyle the next day.
In June, McIntosh set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the previous record set by retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus in 2023. The highly anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center featured a showdown between 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’s impressive performance at the Pan Pacifics began with a silver medal in the women’s 200 free on Wednesday, where she finished just behind Pallister. She continued her success by setting a new championship record in the 400 individual medley and winning bronze in the women’s 200 free relay with her teammates. McIntosh is set to compete in the 200 IM on Saturday to further showcase her talent and determination in the pool.