Summer McIntosh fails to qualify for 400m freestyle A final at Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

Summer McIntosh, the world record holder in the women’s 400-metre freestyle, missed qualifying for Friday evening’s A final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, Calif.

In position to finish second to Australia’s Lani Pallister in a morning heat, McIntosh out touched at the wall, placing third and ninth overall in four minutes 8.56 seconds, 14 seconds under her record time. Only the top eight advance to the A final at 10:07 p.m. ET.

Instead, the 19-year-old Canadian star from Toronto will swim in the B final at 10:01 p.m. The live stream will be available at CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.

Last June, McIntosh went 3:54.18 at the Canadian swimming trials in Victoria, eclipsing the mark set by the now-retired Ariarne Titmus (3:55.38) of Australia in 2023 at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

Friday’s A final outdoors at William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was being billed as a battle between American record-holder Katie Ledecky, Pallister, who entered the meet fifth all-time, and McIntosh.

Ledecky was tops in qualifying in 4:03.48 while Pallister was fourth (4:05.22).

McIntosh made her Pan Pacs debut Wednesday in the women’s 200 free and touched the wall in 1:53.86, nearly 2-10ths behind Pallister, who clocked a championship record 1:53.67.

The Canadian followed with a pair of medals Thursday, shattering the championship record in the 400 individual medley with a 4:28.01 clocking. She also teamed with Mary-Sophie Harvey, Emma O’Croiniin and Brooklyn Douthwright to take bronze in the women’s 200 free relay.

On Saturday, McIntosh is scheduled to compete in the 200 IM.

WATCH | McIntosh ‘happy’ to win 400m IM gold medal:

Summer McIntosh believes she was ‘capable of more tonight’

Summer McIntosh spoke with CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux after winning gold in the women’s 400m individual medley at the 2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.