Summer McIntosh clinched her first gold medal at the Pan Pacific swimming competition by setting a championship record in the women’s 400-metre individual medley in Irvine, Calif. McIntosh from Toronto completed the race in four minutes, 28.01 seconds, outpacing Jenna Forrester of Australia who took silver in 4:31.50. Agostina Hein from Argentina secured the bronze with a time of 4:32.54.
McIntosh expressed her satisfaction with the race, mentioning that while she believed she could have done better, she was pleased to bring home the gold for Canada. The Canadian national anthem was met with cheers from the crowd, especially a group of enthusiastic youths in attendance.
In another event, McIntosh contributed to Canada’s bronze medal in the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay. Despite Australia’s and the United States’ strong performances, Canada managed to secure the third spot with a time of 7:52.74. McIntosh highlighted the team’s goal to maintain their podium presence leading up to the 2028 Olympics.
Additionally, Tristan Jankovics and Lorne Wigginton represented Canada in the men’s 400 IM, finishing in 7th and 8th place, respectively. Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita claimed the gold and set a new championship record. Taylor Ruck from Kelowna, B.C. placed fifth in the women’s 100 free event.
The day saw various other Canadian athletes competing in different events, with notable performances from Alexanne Lepage and Sophie Angus in the women’s 100 breaststroke. Canadian swimmers achieved commendable results across multiple disciplines, showcasing their competitive spirit at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.