Summer McIntosh of Toronto kicked off her competition at the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Irvine, California by securing second place in the women’s 200-meter freestyle event. The 19-year-old newcomer to the championship completed the race in 1 minute 53.86 seconds, trailing behind Lani Pallister of Australia who set a championship record of 1:53.67. Erika Fairweather from New Zealand claimed the third spot with a time of 1:55.05.
McIntosh had not participated in the 200 free event at an international level since the 2023 world championships. She mentioned that her training for the 200 freestyle aligns well with her weekly routine as she primarily focuses on the 400 freestyle.
While McIntosh opted out of the 200 butterfly race, she will compete in the 200 individual medley, 400 free, and 400 IM events in Irvine. She qualified for the 200 free final with a time of 1:55.85, expressing her goal to aim for a time of 1:52. The current world record of 1:52.23 in this event was set by Ariarne Titmus during the Australian Olympics trials on June 12, 2024.
McIntosh holds world records in four individual long-course events in the 50m pool: the 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 400 free, and 400 IM. After breaking the long-standing women’s world record in the 200 butterfly at the Canadian trials in early July, McIntosh withdrew from the trials due to illness but has since recovered fully for the Pan Pacific championships.
