Summer McIntosh, a prominent Canadian swimmer, narrowly missed the gold medal by 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. The Toronto native, who is the reigning Olympic and world champion, settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of two minutes and 7.45 seconds in Irvine, Calif.
American Alex Walsh claimed the bronze with a time of 2:07.66. Yu started strong, being under world-record pace during the butterfly leg, while Regan Smith of the U.S. briefly took the lead in the backstroke. However, Yu surged ahead in the breaststroke and managed to hold off McIntosh in the final stretch.
This marks McIntosh’s third individual medal at the championships, having previously won gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 200m freestyle. Additionally, she contributed to Canada’s bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh expressed satisfaction with her swims but acknowledged the meet did not meet her expectations. Looking ahead, she plans to focus on improvements for the upcoming season.
McIntosh, who holds the world record in the event with a time of 2:05.70 set during the 2025 Canadian trials, competed in her final individual race as a teenager, expressing gratitude for her accomplishments and looking forward to further growth in her 20s.
Lepage Secures Gold in 200m Breaststroke
Canadian swimmer Alexanne Lepage clinched victory in the women’s 200m breaststroke final, leading the race from start to finish and setting a personal best time of 2:21.73. The surprise win saw her outpace the reigning Olympic and world champion, Kate Douglass of the United States, who settled for silver with a time of 2:22.57. South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett claimed the bronze in 2:22.97.
Lepage expressed her astonishment at her achievement, highlighting the significance of her success.
Canada concluded the championships with a total of 13 medals (three gold, four silver, six bronze), marking its most successful performance since the 1997 edition in Fukuoka, Japan. The U.S. topped the overall medal standings with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35 and Canada.
The men’s 1,500m freestyle was won by Sam Short of Australia, who added to his previous titles in the 400m and 800m freestyle events. Short’s time of 14:33.97 was the sixth-fastest in history and broke the 24-year-old championship record set by Grant Hackett.
The men’s 50m freestyle title went to Jamie Jack of Australia in a championship record time of 21.35, with Jack Alexy of the U.S. claiming silver and Gui Caribe of Brazil securing the bronze.
Canadian swimmers also had notable performances across various events, including setting new records and achieving top-eight finishes.
Pallister Upsets Ledecky
Lani Pallister of Australia handed Katie Ledecky her first international loss in the 800m freestyle event. Pallister finished with a time of 8:06.10, surpassing Ledecky’s championship record from 2018, while Ledecky took the silver in 8:07.26.
Ledecky, a four-time Olympic champion in the event, experienced her first defeat in an 800m freestyle final since 2010, with her only prior loss coming in February 2024 against McIntosh in a domestic meet.
Overall, the championship showcased remarkable performances, with athletes breaking records and delivering outstanding results across various swimming disciplines.