Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh narrowly missed out on the gold medal in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. She was out-touched by a mere 0.02 seconds by China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of 2:07.45. McIntosh settled for silver, while American Alex Walsh claimed the bronze.
Yu Yiting started strong, setting a world-record pace in the opening butterfly leg before Regan Smith took the lead in the backstroke. Yu regained the lead in the breaststroke leg and managed to hold off McIntosh in the final stretch.
This marked McIntosh’s third individual medal in the competition, having previously won gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 200m freestyle, in addition to helping Canada secure bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Despite the close finish, McIntosh reflected positively on her performance, acknowledging room for improvement in the future. The 19-year-old holds the world record in the event, set at the 2025 Canadian trials.
In another event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage clinched the gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, beating reigning Olympic champion Kate Douglass. Lepage expressed surprise at her victory, achieving a lifetime best time of 2:21.73. Sophie Angus of Canada finished eighth in the same event.
Canada finished the championships with a total of 13 medals, including three gold, four silver, and six bronze, marking their most successful performance since 1997. The U.S. topped the overall medal standings with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35 and Canada in third place.
In the men’s events, Australian Sam Short secured the gold in the 1,500m freestyle, setting a championship record. The men’s 50m free was won by Jamie Jack of Australia, with Canadian swimmers placing seventh and eighth.
The competition also witnessed notable performances by Taylor Ruck, who set a new Canadian record in the women’s 50m freestyle, and Lani Pallister of Australia, who defeated Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle, ending Ledecky’s long-standing international winning streak.
The championships showcased exceptional talent and fierce competition across various swimming disciplines, with athletes setting new records and achieving remarkable feats in the pool.