Pan Pacific Championships Women’s Day Three Prelims: World Record Holder Summer McIntosh Bumped to B Final in 400 Free
The 2026 Pan Pacific Championships continued with the Day Three prelims on Friday, Aug. 14, at the Wollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California.
The events for Friday morning session include the 400 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 backstroke and 50 breaststroke.
This is a live recap of the women’s events.
Women’s 400 Freestyle
The table looked set for the anticipated three-way battle in the women’s 400 freestyle.
The world record holder is Canada’s Summer McIntosh, the American record-holder is Katie Ledecky, and Australia’s Lani Pallister came into the meet fifth all-time.
But the prelims didn’t go as expected and only two of them will battle for the finals.
McIntosh, the world-record holder, finished with the ninth-fastest time in the heats and will swim in the B finals.
The Canadian star went a 4:08.56 – 14 seconds under her world-record time.
Ledecky took the top seed into finals with a swim of 4:03.48.
New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather took the second spot in 4:04.50, ahead of the second U.S. swimmer in the final, Kennedi Dobson (4:05.10).
Australia’s Lani Pallister cruised into the fourth seed at 4:05.22.
The other finalists are Brazil’s Maria Costa (4:06.63), Australia’s Moesha Johnson (4:07.75), Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto (4:07.92) and China’s Fan Yaqi (4:08.36).
That left McIntosh, USA’s Jillian Cox (4:09.14) and Argentina’s Agostina Hein (4:09.80) just out of the A final.
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Gretchen Walsh bested the meet record to take the top seed in the finals for the 100 fly.
The American star pulled away from the field in her heat and got to the all in 55.28. She has the top 17 swims in history in the event.
A loaded final will await her.
Australia’s Alexandria Perkins was second at 57.2.5
Canada’s Taylor Ruck, who has three bronze medals this week, took the third seed in 57.46.
Yu Yiting was next at 57.47, followed by USA’s Torri Huske (57.72) and Alex Shackell (57.81).
Ruck was out fast and hung on to hold off Shackell in their heat. Shackell will be in the B final.
Yiting and Huske battled to a touch-out with one heat to go.
Women’s 200 Backstroke
Claire Curzan topped another meet record during prelims at Pan Pacs, and this time, it was enough to make an A final.
After breaking the meet mark in the 100 back, only to see it broken twice by her teammates, she will be in the A final in the 200 back at 2:05.97.
Regan Smith lowered the record in 2:14.13, but Curzan had the second spot and will finally get an A final in Irvine.
USA went 1-2-3-4, leaving some great swimmers out of the A final again.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
After winning the 100 breast, McKenzie Siroky threw down a 30.18 during the 50 prelims.
China’s Qianting Tang broke the meet record to take the top seed in 29.59.
Skyler Smith took the second seed overall seed from the first heat in 30.08.
Emma Weber went a 30.61 to make the B final.
