Summer McIntosh, the holder of the women’s 400-meter freestyle world record, did not qualify for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. In the morning heat, McIntosh was aiming for a second-place finish behind Australia’s Lani Pallister but was narrowly out-touched, placing third overall with a time of 4 minutes 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. China’s Fan Yaqi, aged 15, secured the final spot for the evening final at 10:07 p.m. ET with a time of 4:08.36.
The Canadian swimming sensation, 19-year-old McIntosh from Toronto, expressed her regret for the morning’s performance on Instagram and confirmed her participation in the B final at 10:01 p.m. She will be joined by her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who finished 13th overall. The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
Last June, McIntosh set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the previous mark set by the retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus in 2023. The highly anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was expected to feature a showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky topped the qualifications with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister secured the fourth spot with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh, who debuted at the Pan Pacs on Wednesday in the women’s 200 free, claimed a silver medal with a time of 1:53.86, just falling short of Pallister’s championship record. She continued her success on Thursday by breaking the championship record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:28.01 and winning bronze in the women’s 200 free relay alongside Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright. Tomorrow, McIntosh is set to compete in the 200 IM event.
