Summer McIntosh clinched her first gold medal at the Pan Pacific swimming competition by triumphing over Australia’s Jenna Forrester in the women’s 400-metre individual medley in Irvine, California. McIntosh set a championship record time of four minutes and 28.01 seconds, outpacing Forrester by almost three seconds to secure the silver. Agostina Hein from Argentina claimed the bronze with a time of 4:32.54.
Previously, American Elizabeth Beisel had held the Pan Pacs record since 2014 with a time of 4:31.99. McIntosh, reflecting on her performance, mentioned that while she felt strong during the butterfly segment, she acknowledged the need to assess her race strategy for future improvements.
The Canadian national anthem played after McIntosh’s victory, eliciting cheers from the enthusiastic crowd, particularly a group of young spectators. McIntosh expressed her gratitude for the support and excitement from the audience, emphasizing the importance of putting on a show for the fans.
Later in the evening, McIntosh contributed to Canada’s third-place finish in the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay. The Canadian team, including Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croinin, and Brooklyn Douthwright, clinched the bronze with a time of 7:52.74, trailing behind Australia and the United States.
In other events, Tristan Jankovics and Lorne Wigginton represented Canada in the men’s 400 IM, finishing in 7th and 8th place, respectively. Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita set a new championship record with a time of 4:06.75. Additionally, Taylor Ruck secured a fifth-place finish in the women’s 100 free, clocking in at 53.16 seconds.
Overall, McIntosh’s stellar performance and Canada’s strong showing at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships highlight the team’s determination and competitive spirit as they aim for continued success leading up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.