U.S. Breaks 2 Pan Pacs 4x100 Free Relay Records as Kate Douglass Fires 51.69

Q: How did a world record holder miss the main final only to post a medal-worthy time in the consolation race?

Summer McIntosh missed the main 400-meter freestyle final because she swam too conservatively in the morning heats, then corrected that mistake in the evening B final. At Pan Pacifics, the A final was set strictly by the eight-fastest prelims times. McIntosh, the world-record holder and reigning world champion, was only ninth in 4:08.56 — more than 14 seconds slower than her world record of 3:54.18. In her heat, China’s Fan Yaqi closed faster over the last 50 meters and beat McIntosh to the wall by 0.20 seconds, taking the last A-final spot. McIntosh later acknowledged the issue herself, saying on Instagram that she took “full responsibility for my misjudgment in this morning’s heats.” Reports from the meet described it as a pacing error rather than a lack of ability. She had raced a heavy schedule in Irvine and had already shown strong form elsewhere in the meet, including winning the 400 IM. In the B final, with the pressure of qualification gone, she swam much closer to her true level and won in 4:00.58. That time would have earned bronze in the A final, behind only Australia’s Lani Pallister at 3:58.42 and Katie Ledecky at 4:00.15. It underscored that the shock was not her fitness or speed, but the prelims mistake in a format where one off swim can keep even a world-record holder out of the medal race.

3 articles · Updated · SwimSwam · Aug 15

The United States swept both 4x100 freestyle relays, setting Pan Pacs and U.S. Open records at 3:29.32 for the women and 3:09.01 for the men.
Kate Douglass powered the women’s win with a 51.69 lead-off—an American record and the No. 2 performance in history—before Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske and Simone Manuel finished more than 1.7 seconds ahead of Australia.
Jack Alexy’s 46.78 anchor sealed the men’s record after Chris Guiliano led off in 47.51 and Patrick Sammon’s 46.98 briefly put the U.S. under world-record pace; Australia took silver in 3:09.57.
Elsewhere in Irvine, Sam Short won the men’s 400 free in 3:40.52 to break Ian Thorpe’s long-standing Pan Pacs mark, while Gretchen Walsh claimed the women’s 100 fly in a championship-record 55.15.
The relay sweep capped another high-end session in a meet already packed with record swims and late surprises, including Summer McIntosh missing the women’s 400 free A final.