Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh narrowly missed out on the gold medal by 0.02 seconds in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. Despite being the reigning Olympic and world champion from Toronto, she settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of 2:07.45. American Alex Walsh claimed the bronze with a time of 2:07.66.
During the race, Yu was ahead of world-record pace in the opening butterfly leg, but American Regan Smith took the lead on the backstroke. Yu regained the lead during the breaststroke leg and managed to hold off McIntosh in the final stretch. This silver medal adds to McIntosh’s impressive performance at the event, where she also secured gold in the 400m medley, silver in the 200m freestyle, and helped Canada win bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
McIntosh, who holds the world record in the event with a time of 2:05.70 set in 2025, expressed her disappointment at not achieving her desired results at the championship. She reflected on her performance, stating that there is room for improvement in the upcoming season.
In another exciting event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage clinched gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, defeating the reigning Olympic and world champion Kate Douglass of the United States. Lepage led the entire race and touched the wall in a personal best time of 2:21.73, leaving Douglass in second place with a time of 2:22.57. South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett secured the third spot.
With a total of 13 medals (three gold, four silver, six bronze) at the Pan Pacific Championships, Canada had its most successful run since 1997, finishing behind the U.S. and Australia in the overall medal standings. The event showcased remarkable performances from swimmers like Taylor Ruck, who set a new Canadian record in the women’s 50m freestyle.
The championships also saw Lani Pallister of Australia defeating Katie Ledecky in the women’s 800m freestyle, marking Ledecky’s first international loss in the event. Pallister set a blistering pace and finished in 8:06.10, erasing Ledecky’s previous championship record. Ledecky settled for silver with a time of 8:07.26, while Pallister’s victory was a significant upset in the swimming world.
Australian swimmer Sam Short dominated the men’s 1,500m freestyle with a record-breaking performance, while other Canadian swimmers showcased their talent in various events, contributing to a successful outing for the Canadian team at the championships.