What to know for Summer McIntosh's biggest meet of the year

After winning three individual swimming gold medals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and a women's-record-tying four at last year's world championships in Singapore, Summer McIntosh has her sights set on something even bigger at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The Canadian superstar wants to capture five solo golds, which would match the single-Games record for any sport. The only swimmer in history to do it is the great Michael Phelps, as part of his iconic eight-gold-medal haul in 2008 in Beijing.

But Summer can picture it. On a recent flight to southern California, she "got chills" when she caught a glimpse of SoFi Stadium, the massive high-tech football arena that will be converted into the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, holding around 38,000 fans.

"It was the coolest moment ever," the 19-year-old from Toronto told CBC Sports' Devin Heroux. "Flying over that stadium, I was just imagining what I hope to do there."

This week, Summer's path to glory in L.A. takes her to nearby Irvine, Calif., for the Pan Pacific championships.

Summer McIntosh felt 'chills' seeing the LA 2028 stadium, ready for the Pan Pacific Championships

Typically held every four years, the Pan Pacs are basically the rest of the world's answer to the European championships, which are also taking place this week in Paris. They feature swimming superpowers Australia and the United States, and also the likes of Japan, Brazil, South Africa, China and, of course, Canada.

This year's edition — the first since 2018, due to the Covid pandemic's disruption of the swimming calendar — got underway yesterday with the 10-kilometre open-water events along the Pacific coast in Long Beach. 2024 Olympian Emma Finlin was the top Canadian, placing 13th in the women's race.

The main action begins Wednesday in an outdoor pool in Irvine, where McIntosh headlines a team of 42 Canadians competing over four days.

The group also includes 26-year-old Taylor Ruck, who won all five of her events at last month's Canadian trials in Montreal. Plus, breaststroke specialists Sophie Angus and Oliver Dawson and men's 400m individual medley standout Lorne Wingginton, who each medalled at the recent Commonwealth Games in Scotland. Kylie Masse and Josh Liendo, Canada's only two swimming gold medallists at the Commonwealths, are not involved in the Pan Pacs.

But all eyes will be on McIntosh, who's scheduled to compete in four events (one each day) at her biggest meet of 2026. She'll begin with the 200m freestyle on Wednesday, then do the 400m individual medley on Thursday, the 400m freestyle on Friday and the 200m individual medley on Saturday.

Swim star Summer McIntosh puts 2028 Olympic goals to test in this week's Pan Pacific championships

Swimming five events may have been a better test for McIntosh's Olympic ambitions, but it would have meant doubling up on one of the days.