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 her strong performance, she settled for silver behind China’s Yu Yiting, who set a championship record with a time of 2:07.45. American Alex Walsh secured the bronze with a time of 2:07.66.
Yu set a blistering pace in the opening butterfly leg, briefly losing the lead to American Regan Smith on the backstroke before regaining it on the breaststroke and ultimately holding off McIntosh in the final stretch. McIntosh’s silver in the 200m IM added to her impressive medal tally at the championships, including gold in the 400m medley, silver in the 200m freestyle, and a bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Reflecting on her performance, McIntosh expressed satisfaction with her race but acknowledged the need for improvement moving forward. She holds the world record in the event with a time of 2:05.70 set at the 2025 Canadian trials. The 19-year-old swimmer considered this competition her final individual race as a teenager, emphasizing her growth and learning experiences as she looks ahead to her 20s.
In another event, Canadian Alexanne Lepage clinched gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, outperforming reigning Olympic champion Kate Douglass. Lepage led the race from start to finish, achieving a lifetime best time of 2:21.73. Douglass settled for silver at 2:22.57, while South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett claimed the bronze in 2:22.97.
Canada wrapped up the championships with a total of 13 medals, including three gold, four silver, and six bronze, marking their most successful performance since 1997. The United States topped the overall medal standings with 50 medals, followed by Australia with 35 and Canada in third place.
Additionally, Australian swimmer Lani Pallister handed Katie Ledecky her first international loss in the 800m freestyle event, setting a new championship record. Pallister finished in 8:06.10, while Ledecky took silver with a time of 8:07.26. The American, a four-time Olympic champion in the event, had previously faced defeat only once since 2010, against McIntosh in February 2024.
In the men’s events, Sam Short of Australia claimed victory in the 1,500m freestyle, setting a championship record with a time of 14:33.97. Notably, the Canadian team delivered strong performances across various events, with notable finishes in the relay races and individual competitions.
The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships showcased exceptional talent and fierce competition, with athletes from around the world demonstrating their skill and determination in the pool.
