Summer McIntosh, the current world record holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle event, did not qualify for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite being in a good position to secure second place in a morning heat behind Australia’s Lani Pallister, McIntosh narrowly finished third overall with a time of 4 minutes 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. The final spot in the A final was claimed by China’s Fan Yaqi, aged 15, with a time of 4:08.36. McIntosh, acknowledging her performance, expressed regret for her misjudgment and announced she would compete in the B final at 10:01 p.m. alongside her teammate, Ella Cosgrove, who placed 13th overall.
The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh, in an Instagram post, took full responsibility for her performance and appreciated the support from her fans. McIntosh had set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria in June, surpassing the previous record held by retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus.
The highly anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was expected to feature a competitive showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and Summer McIntosh. Ledecky qualified in first place with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister secured the fourth spot with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh, who debuted at the Pan Pacifics by winning silver in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event, also achieved success in the 400-meter individual medley and the women’s 200-meter freestyle relay. She is set to compete in the 200-meter individual medley event on Saturday.