Toronto’s Summer McIntosh commenced her competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event in Irvine, California. The 19-year-old newcomer to the competition finished with a time of 1:53.86, just behind Lani Pallister from Australia, 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 expressed her disappointment, acknowledging areas for improvement such as her starting speed and turns. Despite the outcome, she remains focused on her long-term goal of winning at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Pallister initially led McIntosh by a slight margin, but McIntosh later took the lead before ultimately being surpassed by Pallister towards the end of the race.
McIntosh, primarily a 400 freestyler, revealed that training for the 200 freestyle aligns well with her regular training routine. She had not competed in the 200 free internationally since the 2023 world championships. McIntosh, who skipped the 200 butterfly event, is set to participate in the 200 individual medley, 400 free, and 400 IM in Irvine.
In a separate event, Blake Tierney from Saskatoon clinched the gold medal in the men’s 100m backstroke with a time of 53.18 seconds, finishing ahead of Will Modglin and Jack Aikins. This victory marks Tierney’s first international gold medal, achieved through dedicated training and preparation.
Taylor Ruck from Kelowna contributed to Canada’s success by securing a bronze medal in the women’s 50m butterfly, setting a new Canadian record. Ruck’s impressive performance continued as she added another bronze in the 100m backstroke final. The Canadian 4×100 medley relay team, consisting of Ruck, Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, and Finlay Knox, concluded the day with another bronze medal, showcasing Canada’s strong presence at the championships.
