Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh narrowly missed out on the gold medal by 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. The reigning Olympic and world champion settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of 2:07.45. American Alex Walsh claimed the bronze in 2:07.66.
Yu maintained a strong pace throughout the race, leading on the butterfly leg before being overtaken by Regan Smith on the backstroke. However, Yu regained the lead on the breaststroke and managed to hold off McIntosh in the last moments of the race. McIntosh’s performance at the event included winning gold in the 400m medley, silver in the 200m freestyle, and contributing to Canada’s bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Expressing her thoughts on the competition, McIntosh stated, “That was probably one of my better swims of the meet, but overall this meet didn’t go the way I wanted it to. So there will definitely be a lot of reflection and focus on how I can be better next season.” McIntosh holds the world record in the event with a time of 2:05.70 set at the 2025 Canadian trials.
Fellow Canadian Alexanne Lepage secured victory in the women’s 200m breaststroke, setting a lifetime best of 2:21.73. Lepage led the race from start to finish, defeating Olympic champion Kate Douglass of the United States, who finished second in 2:22.57. The championships saw Canada clinch a total of 13 medals, with the U.S. leading the overall medal standings.
In other events, Australian swimmer Sam Short won the men’s 1,500 free, setting the sixth-fastest time in history. The men’s 50 free was won by Jamie Jack of Australia, with Canadian swimmers Yuri Kisil and Ruslan Gaziev finishing seventh and eighth, respectively.
The tournament also witnessed Katie Ledecky’s loss to Lani Pallister of Australia in the women’s 800m freestyle, marking Ledecky’s first international defeat in the event. Pallister finished in 8:06.10, erasing Ledecky’s championship record.
The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships showcased remarkable performances and new records, highlighting the exceptional talent and competitiveness in the swimming world.
