Toronto’s Summer McIntosh began her races at the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Irvine, Calif., by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event. The 19-year-old newcomer to the competition finished with a time of 1:53.86, trailing Australia’s Lani Pallister who set a championship record at 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather of New Zealand claimed third place with a time of 1:55.05. Prior to this event, McIntosh had not competed in the 200 free at an international level since the 2023 world championships.

McIntosh, primarily a 400 freestyler, expressed that training for the 200 freestyle naturally fit into her weekly routine. She mentioned her alignment with this event due to her existing training schedule. McIntosh opted out of the 200 butterfly race on Wednesday and is set to compete in the 200 individual medley, 400 free, and 400 IM events in Irvine.

Having qualified for the 200 free final with a time of 1:55.85, McIntosh expressed her desire to achieve a time of 1:52, aiming to surpass the world record held by retired Ariarne Titmus since June 12, 2024. Notably, McIntosh holds four individual long-course world records in the 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 400 free, and 400 IM.

After setting a new women’s world record in the 200 fly at the Canadian trials in July, McIntosh withdrew from the competition due to illness. Following a recovery period, she is now in top form for Pan Pacs. Taylor Ruck also made her mark at the championships, securing a bronze medal in the women’s 50-meter butterfly event. Ruck set a new Canadian record with a time of 25.23 seconds, earning Canada’s first medal of the competition.