Toronto’s Summer McIntosh made her debut at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event. The 19-year-old finished with a time of 1:53.86, just falling short of Australia’s Lani Pallister, who set a championship record of 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather from New Zealand claimed the third spot with a time of 1:55.05.

Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh mentioned that she could have started faster and improved her turns. Despite the disappointment, she remains focused on her ultimate goal of winning gold at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

During the race, Pallister initially led McIntosh by a narrow margin, but McIntosh took the lead at the halfway mark. However, Pallister regained the lead in the final stretch, ultimately securing the victory.

Before this event, McIntosh had not competed in the 200 free on the international stage since the 2023 world championships. She emphasized that training for the 200 freestyle aligns well with her regimen as a 400 freestyler.

Apart from the 200 free, McIntosh will also participate in the 200 individual medley, 400 free, and 400 IM at the competition. She aims to break the world record set by Titmus at the 2024 Australian Olympic trials.

In the men’s 100m backstroke, Blake Tierney from Saskatoon clinched the gold medal with a time of 53.18 seconds. This victory marked Tierney’s first international gold medal and showcased his dedication to training.

Taylor Ruck, another Canadian swimmer, secured a bronze medal in the women’s 50m butterfly final and added another bronze in the 100m backstroke event. Ruck also contributed to Canada’s success in the 4×100 medley relay, along with Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, earning a bronze medal for the team.