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. 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 with a time of 2:07.66.
Yu started strong, pacing under the world record on the butterfly leg, but McIntosh made a late push in the breaststroke only to be out-touched in the final meters. This marked McIntosh’s third individual medal at the championships, following her gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 200m freestyle, along with helping Canada secure bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh expressed that despite her strong showing, the meet didn’t go as planned, prompting her to focus on improvements for the upcoming season. The 19-year-old, who holds the world record in the event, emphasized her learning experiences as she transitions into her 20s.
In another event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage clinched the gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, surpassing reigning Olympic and world champion Kate Douglass. Lepage led the race from start to finish, setting a personal best of 2:21.73. Douglass settled for silver, while South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett took the bronze.
Canada wrapped up the championships with a total of 13 medals, including three gold, four silver, and six bronze. This marked the country’s most successful performance at the Pan Pacific Championships since 1997. The United States topped the medal standings with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35 and Canada in third place.
In other notable results, Taylor Ruck set a new Canadian record in the women’s 50m freestyle, finishing fourth in a highly competitive field. Additionally, Australian swimmer Lani Pallister shocked Katie Ledecky with her victory in the 800m freestyle, marking Ledecky’s first international loss in the event.
The championships also saw impressive performances from other swimmers, such as Sam Short of Australia winning the men’s 1,500 free, and Jamie Jack clinching the men’s 50 free in a championship record time. The event showcased outstanding talent and fierce competition among some of the world’s top swimmers.