Summer McIntosh clinched a gold medal on Thursday night at the Pan Pacific swimming competition in Irvine, California, marking her first-ever victory at the event. She outpaced Australia’s Jenna Forrester in the women’s 400-meter individual medley, setting a championship record time of four minutes and 28.01 seconds. Forrester settled for the silver medal, finishing almost three seconds behind McIntosh, while Agostina Hein of Argentina secured the bronze with a time of 4:32.54.
Previously held by American Elizabeth Beisel since 2014, McIntosh’s performance shattered the Pan Pacific record of 4:31.99. Reflecting on her race, McIntosh expressed her satisfaction with the win for Canada, despite feeling she could have performed even better. She mentioned analyzing her race splits to identify areas for improvement.
Following her victory, McIntosh acknowledged the enthusiastic response from the crowd, especially a group of young spectators, whom she found delightful. She emphasized the honor of entertaining the audience and being part of the competitive spirit shared by all swimmers at the event.
Later in the evening, McIntosh contributed to Canada’s success in the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay, helping secure a bronze medal along with her teammates. The Canadian team, led by Mary-Sophie Harvey, finished with a time of 7:52.74, behind Australia and the United States, who claimed the top two spots.
In the men’s 400 IM, Canadian swimmers Tristan Jankovics and Lorne Wigginton finished 7th and 8th, respectively. Japanese swimmer Tomoyuki Matsushita set a new championship record with a time of 4:06.75, surpassing Ryan Lochte’s previous record.
Taylor Ruck of Canada placed fifth in the women’s 100 freestyle event. Meanwhile, in the women’s 100 breaststroke, University of Calgary swimmer Alexanne Lepage achieved a personal best time of 1:05.94, nearing the Canadian record held by Annamay Pierse. Sophie Angus, also from Calgary, placed seventh in the same event.
The competition saw various Canadian athletes achieving notable results across different events. Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson, Javier Acevedo, and several Canadian relay teams showcased their talent, with Canada securing multiple top-ten finishes in different disciplines.