World record-holder Summer McIntosh failed to qualify for the 400m freestyle final at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, on Friday, slumping to the ninth-quickest time in the heats.
The 19-year-old Canadian sensation, who won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, clocked 4min 08.56sec – more than 14 seconds outside the world record she set last year before going on to win the world title in Singapore.
McIntosh had been expected to figure in a three-way battle for the Pan Pacs crown with US freestyle great Katie Ledecky and Australian Lani Pallister.
Ledecky led the way into Friday night's final with a time of 4:03.48 and Pallister, who won the 200m free and took silver behind Ledecky in the 1 500m on Wednesday, was fourth-quickest.
The competition that brings together top swimmers from non-European countries has been a mixed bag for McIntosh.
After dropping one of her signature events, the 200m butterfly, to focus on the 200m free she finished runner-up to Pallister. She went on to win the 400m individual medley on Thursday, shattering the championship record but saying she was disappointed in her time of 4:28.01, which was more than four seconds slower than her world mark.