Summer McIntosh, who holds the world record in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, did not qualify for the A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. Despite being in a good position to secure second place in the morning heat behind Australia’s Lani Pallister, McIntosh was narrowly out-touched to finish third in the heat and ninth overall with a time of 4:08.56, which was 14 seconds slower than her record time. China’s Fan Yaqi, aged 15, secured the eighth and final spot for the evening final with a time of 4:08.36 at 10:07 p.m. ET.
The Canadian swimming star, a 19-year-old from Toronto, acknowledged her misjudgment in the heats and will be competing in the B final at 10:01 p.m. alongside her teammate Ella Cosgrove, who placed 13th overall. The live stream of the event can be accessed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. McIntosh expressed gratitude for the support she has received and looks forward to the upcoming race.
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 now-retired Ariarne Titmus of Australia. The A final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was anticipated to be a showdown between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and McIntosh. Ledecky claimed the top spot in qualifying with a time of 4:03.48, while Pallister finished fourth with a time of 4:05.22.
McIntosh’s performance at the Pan Pacifics has been noteworthy, with a silver in the women’s 200m freestyle on Wednesday and a record-breaking gold in the 400m individual medley on Thursday. She also secured a bronze in the women’s 200m freestyle relay. On Saturday, McIntosh is set to compete in the 200m individual medley event.