Summer McIntosh, the current world record-holder in the women’s 400-metre freestyle event, fell short of qualifying for the A final at the ongoing Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. During the morning heat, McIntosh was positioned to secure a second-place finish behind Australia’s Lani Pallister but was narrowly out-touched at the wall, landing in third place and ninth overall with a time of 4 minutes 8.56 seconds, 14 seconds off her record-setting time. The final spot for the A final was clinched by China’s Fan Yaqi, aged 15, who clocked in at 4:08.36.
Acknowledging her performance, the 19-year-old Canadian standout from Toronto announced that she and her teammate, Ella Cosgrove, would be competing in the B final at 10:01 p.m. McIntosh took full responsibility for her morning heat outcome, expressing gratitude for the support received from fans on Instagram.
In a previous achievement last 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 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center featured a showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Pallister, and McIntosh, with Ledecky leading the qualifying rounds in 4:03.48 and Pallister securing fourth place with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh, who made her Pan Pacs debut with a silver in the women’s 200 free on Wednesday, followed up with notable performances, including a record-breaking 400 individual medley and a bronze in the women’s 200 free relay on Thursday. Scheduled to compete in the 200 IM on Saturday, McIntosh continues to showcase her prowess at the prestigious event.
The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships can be live-streamed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, offering fans a chance to witness the competition unfold firsthand.