LOS ANGELES: World record-holder Summer McIntosh stormed to a 400m individual medley victory in the Pan Pacific Championships on Thursday, bouncing back from day-one disappointment in the 200m freestyle.
The 19-year-old Canadian clocked 4min 28.01sec in a wire-to-wire victory, relentlessly stretching her advantage over the last 200m to finish 3.49sec ahead of Australian runner-up Jenna Forrester, who claimed Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow last month.
McIntosh, who counted the 400m medley among her three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was coming off a runner-up finish to Australian Lani Pallister in the 200m free on Wednesday.
Paris Olympics silver medallist Tomoyuki Matsushita won the men’s 400m medley to give Japan a first gold of the four-day meeting that brings together top swimmers from non-European nations.
Matsushita finished in 4:06.75 ahead of Carson Foster (4:07.11) while Bobby Finke rounded out the podium finishing in 4:07.59.
Jack Alexy led a US one-two in the men’s 100m freestyle, winning in 47.14 as Patrick Sammon touched second in 47.62. Brazilian Gui Caribe was third in 47.89.
Australian Meg Harris surged past American Gretchen Walsh in the closing meters to win the women’s 100m free in 52.60, backing up her Commonwealth Games 50m-100m free double. The United States bagged both 100m breaststroke golds.
Rising talent McKenzie Siroky held off China’s Olympic silver medallist Tang Qianting to win the women’s title in 1:05.32.
Van Mathias won the men’s in 58.02, holding off Japanese teen sensation Shin Ohashi who was second in 58.54 — a world junior record.
Katharine Berkoff led Regan Smith in a US 50m backstroke one-two, posting an American record 26.90sec to add the 50m to her 100m triumph of Wednesday.
Quintin McCarty made it five individual wins on the night for the United States with his 50m back victory in 24.51, and the hosts added one more in the men’s 4x200m free relay.
Luke Hobson and Aaron Shackell gave the US a substantial lead, and Sammon and Gabriel Jett brought home the victory in 6:59.37. A hard-charging Australia were second in 7:01.10 and Japan third in 7:02.74.
Australia produced a dominant victory in the women’s 4x200m free as Inez Miller, Pallister, Hannah Casey and Milla Jansen won in 7:42.40, holding off a US team anchored by Katie Ledecky that finished second in 7:43.10.
Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2026