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 held in Irvine, California. Despite initially being in contention to secure the second spot behind Australia’s Lani Pallister in the morning heat, McIntosh finished third, placing ninth overall with a time of 4 minutes 8.56 seconds, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. Only the top eight swimmers advanced to the medal final scheduled for 10:07 p.m. ET. Consequently, McIntosh, a 19-year-old swimming sensation from Toronto, will participate in the B final at 10:01 p.m., alongside her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who finished 13th overall.
The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Last June, McIntosh set a new record of 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, surpassing the previous record held by the retired Ariarne Titmus of Australia. 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 secured the top qualifying spot with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister placed fourth with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh made her Pan Pacifics debut by winning silver in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event on Wednesday, finishing just behind Pallister who set a championship record. She continued her impressive performance by breaking the championship record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:28.01 the following day. Additionally, she clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 200 free relay alongside her teammates Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin, and Brooklyn Douthwright. On the upcoming Saturday, McIntosh is scheduled to compete in the 200 individual medley event.
For more insights into McIntosh’s achievements, you can watch her interview after winning the gold in the women’s 400m individual medley at the 2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.