Summer McIntosh, a Canadian swimming sensation, is aiming for five individual gold medals at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. This ambitious goal would equal the record set by the legendary Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Games. During a recent flight to California, McIntosh was inspired when she saw SoFi Stadium, the venue that will host swimming events at the upcoming Olympics.
Preparing for her Olympic dream, McIntosh is currently competing at the Pan Pacific championships in Irvine, California. This event, held every four years, features top swimmers from around the world, including powerhouse nations like Australia, the United States, Japan, and Canada.
The competition kicked off with open-water events along the Pacific coast in Long Beach, where Canadian swimmer Emma Finlin finished 13th in the women’s race. McIntosh, along with a team of 42 Canadian swimmers, is set to showcase her skills in four events over the course of the championships.
McIntosh’s decision to focus on four events rather than five was a strategic move to optimize her training schedule. She opted to skip the 800m freestyle and the 200m butterfly, events she excels in, to concentrate on the 200m freestyle, aligning better with her training routine.
At the Pan Pacs, McIntosh will face off against top international competitors, including American star Katie Ledecky and Australian standout Lanni Pallister. The event will also feature other prominent swimmers like Bobby Finke, Kate Douglass, and Gretchen Walsh from the United States.
Fans can catch all the thrilling races at the Pan Pacific championships live on the CBC Gem streaming app and CBC Sports website, with morning heats starting at 1 p.m. ET and finals at 10 p.m. ET each day.