Canadians open Pan Pacific Swimming Championships with five medals

IRVINE — Canada opened the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships with five medals on Wednesday.

Saskatoon’s Blake Tierney won gold in the men’s 100-metre backstroke, topping the field with a time of 53.18 seconds, 0.19 seconds ahead of American Will Modglin.

Earlier in the day, Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh claimed silver in the women’s 200-metre freestyle, touching in 1:53.86.

Lani Pallister of Australia finished first with a time of 1:53.67 and New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather came in third at 1:55.05.

The 19-year-old three-time Olympic champion from Toronto is building toward a goal of five individual gold medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., captured three bronze medals on Wednesday, including third-place finishes in both the women’s 50-metre butterfly and 100-metre backstroke.

The four-time Olympic medallist posted a time of 25.23 seconds in the butterfly, 0.58 seconds behind American Gretchen Walsh, who captured gold with a Pan Pacs record of 24.65.

Ruck then helped the Canadians close out the first day of competition with another bronze in the 4×100-metre medley relay.

Her team, with Ingrid Wilm, Oliver Dawson and Finlay Knox, finished in 3:43.22, behind the first-place Americans and second-place Australians.

Another Canadian crew, composed of Tierney, Alexanne Lepage, Mary-Sophie Harvey and Ruslan Gaziev, came in fourth.

The competition continues Thursday with McIntosh swimming in the 400-metre individual medley, while Ruck races the 100-metre freestyle and Tierney takes on the 50-metre backstroke.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2026.