Summer McIntosh, the Canadian swimming sensation, narrowly missed out on the gold medal by a mere 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships held in Irvine, Calif. The Toronto native, who is both the reigning Olympic and world champion, settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a new championship record with a time of 2:07.45.
American Alex Walsh secured the bronze with a timing of 2:07.66. The race saw Yu taking the lead on the breaststroke leg after being under world-record pace during the butterfly leg, while McIntosh made a strong push in the closing meters but couldn’t overtake her rival.
Despite this, McIntosh’s performance was commendable, earning her a total of three individual medals in the outdoor meet, including a gold in the 400m medley and a silver in the 200m freestyle. Additionally, she contributed to Canada’s bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
In a post-race interview with CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux, McIntosh expressed her satisfaction with her performance but acknowledged the need for improvement in the upcoming season. Notably, McIntosh holds the world record in the event, set at the 2025 Canadian trials with a time of 2:05.70.
-
World record-holder McIntosh fails to qualify for 400m freestyle final, takes responsibility for ‘misjudgment’
-
Summer McIntosh shatters Pan Pacs record to win gold in 400m medley
This event marked McIntosh’s final individual race as a teenager, and she expressed gratitude for the learning opportunities and achievements during her youth, looking forward to further growth in her 20s.
Another Canadian standout, Alexanne Lepage, clinched the gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke final, surpassing reigning Olympic and world champion Kate Douglass from the United States. Lepage’s victory came with a lifetime best timing of 2:21.73, leaving Douglass to settle for silver with a time of 2:22.57. South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett secured the third spot with a time of 2:22.97.
Reflecting on her unexpected win, Lepage expressed her disbelief at her achievement, highlighting the significance of her performance.
Canada concluded the championships with an impressive total of 13 medals, including three gold, four silver, and six bronze medals. This marked Canada’s best performance at the Pan Pacific Championships since 1997 in Fukuoka, Japan, with the United States leading the medal standings followed by Australia and Canada.
<div class="player