China’s Yu Yiting edges Canadian Summer McIntosh to win Pan Pacs 200 IM

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Yu Yiting of China defeated a strong field, including world record holder Summer McIntosh of Toronto, to win the 200-metre individual medley at the Pan Pacific Championships on Saturday night.

Yu was under world-record pace on the opening butterfly leg before American Regan Smith took over the lead on the backstroke. Yu moved back in front on the breaststroke and held off McIntosh in the closing metres. Yu’s time of two minutes, 7.45 seconds set a championship record in the outdoor pool in Irvine.

McIntosh, the Canadian star whose lone individual victory of the week was in the 400 IM, took silver in 2:07.47. American Alex Walsh earned bronze in 2:07.66. Smith finished fourth.

McIntosh claimed silver in the 200 freestyle and bronze in the 4×200 freestyle relay. She surprisingly failed to qualify for the 400 free championship final, but finished first in the ‘B’ final.

“It wasn’t a horrible swim, but getting touched out is something that is never a good thing to feel,” McIntosh said. “Overall, the meet didn’t go the way I wanted it to, so there’ll definitely be a lot of reflection.”

Meanwhile, Alexanne Lepage of Vernon, B.C., won the women’s 200-metre breaststroke event on Saturday night in 2:21.73. She finished ahead of American Kate Douglass (2:22.57) and Kaylene Corbett of South Africa (2:22.97). Canadian Sophie Angus finished eighth in the A final in 2:26.02.

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