At the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, Summer McIntosh, the women’s 400-metre freestyle world record holder, narrowly missed qualifying for the A final. Despite a strong performance, she finished third in the morning heat, placing ninth overall in a time of 4:08.56, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. China’s Fan Yaqi secured the final spot for the A final with a time of 4:08.36.
McIntosh, a 19-year-old Canadian swimmer from Toronto, expressed her disappointment on Instagram but took responsibility for her performance. She and her teammate, Ella Cosgrove, will now compete in the B final at 10:01 p.m.
Fans can catch the live stream of the event on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh previously set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria last June, surpassing the previous record held by Ariarne Titmus of Australia.
The anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center featured top swimmers like Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky secured the top qualifying spot in 4:03.48, with Pallister coming in fourth at 4:05.22.
McIntosh, who claimed silver in the women’s 200 free earlier in the competition, set a championship record in the 400 individual medley. She also won bronze in the women’s 200 free relay event. Despite missing out on the A final in the 400-metre freestyle, McIntosh is set to compete in the 200 IM on Saturday.
The talented Canadian swimmer continues to showcase her skills at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, demonstrating resilience and determination in the pool.