Summer McIntosh, the holder of the world record in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, did not qualify for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California on Friday evening. Despite being in contention to secure the second spot behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in the morning heat, McIntosh was narrowly defeated, finishing third and ninth overall with a time of 4 minutes 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds off her record-setting time. China’s Fan Yaqi, aged 15, clinched the final eighth spot for the 10:07 p.m. ET final with a time of 4:08.36.
McIntosh, the 19-year-old Canadian standout from Toronto, expressed that she and her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who finished 13th overall, will compete in the B final at 10:01 p.m. The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh took responsibility for her performance, acknowledging her error in the morning heats, and assured her followers on Instagram that she would participate in the B final, thanking them for their support.
In June, McIntosh set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the record previously held by the now-retired Ariarne Titmus of Australia. The anticipated A final on Friday at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was expected to feature a showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky secured the top spot in the qualifiers with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister finished fourth with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh made her debut at the Pan Pacific Championships on Wednesday in the women’s 200 freestyle, where she won silver with a time of 1:53.86, narrowly trailing Pallister who set a championship record of 1:53.67. The Canadian swimmer continued her success on Thursday, setting a championship record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:28.01. Additionally, she claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 200 free relay alongside Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright.
On Saturday, McIntosh is scheduled to compete in the 200 IM event, aiming to continue her impressive performance at the championships.