Summer McIntosh, the current world record-holder in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, did not qualify for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite her strong performance in the morning heat, she finished third behind Lani Pallister of Australia and missed the A final by a narrow margin. McIntosh clocked in at four minutes 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. China’s Fan Yaqi, aged 15, secured the final spot for the evening final with a time of 4:08.36.
As a result, McIntosh, a 19-year-old swimming sensation from Toronto, will compete in the B final later tonight at 10:01 p.m. alongside her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who finished 13th overall. The event can be live-streamed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh expressed her accountability for the morning’s outcome on Instagram, acknowledging her misjudgment and thanking her supporters for their backing.
Last June, McIntosh set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the previous record set by the retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus in 2023. The highly anticipated A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was expected to feature a showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and Summer McIntosh. Ledecky dominated the qualifiers with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister secured the fourth spot with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh made her debut at the Pan Pacific Championships on Wednesday in the women’s 200 freestyle, clinching the silver medal with a time of 1:53.86, just falling short of Pallister’s championship record of 1:53.67. She continued her success on Thursday by breaking the championship record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:28.01 and also won bronze in the women’s 200 freestyle relay alongside Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright. Tomorrow, McIntosh is slated to compete in the 200 IM event.
Throughout the competition, McIntosh has displayed resilience and determination, and despite missing out on the A final in the 400-meter freestyle, she remains focused on her upcoming races and is grateful for the support she has received from her fans and followers.