All articles tagged with #pan pacific championships
Australian swimmer Lani Pallister won the women’s 800 free at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, snapping Katie Ledecky’s 14-year international streak in the event and signaling she believes a world record in the 800 free is within reach, while noting she already holds the SCM 800 free world record.
Australian Lani Pallister defeated Katie Ledecky in the women’s 800m freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, clocking 8:06.10 to snap Ledecky’s 13-gold streak at major championships since 2012; Pallister led from the start and withstood a late challenge from Ledecky, who called it her best swim of the meet.
Lani Pallister toppled Katie Ledecky in the women’s 800m freestyle at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, posting 8:06.10 to Ledecky’s 8:07.26. Pallister surged to the lead on the opening 400m and remained under world-record pace through the middle, finishing with a blazing final 50 of 28.84 to secure the win, marking Ledecky’s first international defeat in the event in 14 years and signaling Pallister as a leading distance contender ahead of LA28.
American Kate Douglass set and then crushed the 50m freestyle world record at the Pan Pacific Championships, clocking 23.49 in the prelims and 23.19 in the final, while also taking silver in the 200m breaststroke and helping the U.S. win gold in the 4x100m medley relay for a rare three-medal night.
Kate Douglass blasted the women’s 50m free world record with 23.19 to win Pan Pacs Day 4, with Gretchen Walsh taking silver and Meg Harris bronze. Jamie Jack won the men’s 50m free in 21.35, while Alexy took silver. Canada’s Alexanne Lepage topped the women’s 200m breast in 2:21.73. Zac Stubblety-Cook claimed the men’s 200m breast in 2:08.09. Sam Short set a Pan Pacs meet and Australian record in the 1500m freestyle (14:33.97). Lani Pallister upset Katie Ledecky in the 800m free with a meet-record 8:06.10. The U.S. closed with a meet and US Open record in the women’s 4×100 medley relay (3:50.43) and the men’s 4×100 medley relay (3:29.06), with record splits highlighted by Gretchen Walsh’s fastest-ever 100 fly leg.
Australian Lani Pallister defeated Katie Ledecky in the Pan Pacific Championships 800m freestyle, finishing in 8:06.1 to hand Ledecky her first international 800m defeat; Pallister had beaten Ledecky the night before in the 400m, signaling a rising challenge to Ledecky’s long-time dominance ahead of LA28.
Day 4 relay lineups for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships were released: the United States women’s 400 medley relay features Katharine Berkoff on back, McKenzie Siroky on breast, Gretchen Walsh on butterfly, and Kate Douglass anchoring, with Walsh remaining on the fly leg and Douglass anchoring after her strong 100 free; the US men’s 400 medley relay A lineup lists Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Luca Urlando and Jack Alexy. Lane-by-lane rosters for other nations (Australia, Japan, Canada, South Africa, etc.) are provided, along with a separate USA B relay lineup for the final session.
Day 4 prelims at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships featured a sprint-studded session: Kate Douglass blasted 23.49 to reclaim the women’s 50m free world record (with Gretchen Walsh close behind at 23.78) and Jamie Jack posted a Pan Pacific record 21.42 in the men’s 50m free; Shaine Casas failed to crack the 200m IM final, while Japan led the men’s 200m breast prelims with Shin Ohashi at 2:08.90 and Yamato Fukasawa at 2:09.72, and Kate Douglass along with Kotomi Kato posted strong times in the women’s 200m breast. Slower heats in the 800m and 1500m saw Caitlin Deans and Benjamin Goedemans post the morning's best times, respectively, setting the stage for tonight’s finals under the meet’s two-per-country rules.
Germany's Johannes Liebmann smashed the men's 1500m freestyle world record at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris with 14:26.79, becoming the first to dip under 14:30 since Grant Hackett in 2001, while American Kate Douglass set a new women's 50m freestyle world mark at the Pan Pacific Championships in California with 23.49 seconds, reclaiming the record from Gretchen Walsh.
Day 3 of the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine featured a night of record-setting swims and key wins: Gretchen Walsh dominated the women’s 100m fly with a meet-record 55.15; Sam Short blasted the Pan Pacs record in the men’s 400 free with 3:40.52; Lani Pallister won the women’s 400 free in 3:58.42 (Katie Ledecky 4:00.15, Erika Fairweather 4:02.35); Regan Smith claimed the women’s 200 back in 2:05.57; Yumeki Kojima won the men’s 200 back in 1:55.38; Tang Qianting took the women’s 50 breast in 29.67; Sam Williamson led a 1-2 Australian finish in the men’s 50 breast with 26.36 (Houlie/Mathias 26.42); and the U.S. lit up the night with relay records in the women’s 4×100 free (3:29.32) and the men’s 4×100 free (3:09.01), both Pan Pacs and U.S. Open marks.
Canadian world-record holder Summer McIntosh finished 9th in the heats of the women’s 400m freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships, missing the A final by 0.20 seconds with a 4:08.56 as Fan Yaqi grabbed the last qualifying spot. The result comes a year after her world-title win in the event and follows illness that affected her Canadian Trials; McIntosh has been among the season’s fastest 400 frees, having clocked 3:55.37 earlier this season.
In Irvine, California, Summer McIntosh entered the Pan Pacific Championships as the favorite in the 200-meter freestyle but finished second in 1:53.86 behind Lani Pallister, later saying the swim ‘it wasn’t good enough’ as she aimed for a faster time.
Day 2 prelims at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine featured Summer McIntosh headlining the women’s 400 IM as a gold favorite, Gretchen Walsh clocking 52.57 to lead the 100 free while Americans and Aussies jockeyed for finals spots, Katharine Berkoff breaking American and U.S. Open records in the 50 back, and a series of tight heats and two-per-country rule-driven swim-offs (including a 400 IM swim-off between Asaki Nishikawa and Yumeki Kojima and a 100 free swim-off between Fan Yaqi and Chelsey Edwards) shaping tonight’s finals. The day also saw strong showings from Japan and Brazil in various events, with Masers and relays setting up a stacked night of racing across the Pan Pacs program.
Summer McIntosh won the women’s 400 IM in a championship-record 4:28.01, Meg Harris upset Gretchen Walsh to take the 100 free in 52.60, Jack Alexy led the men’s 100 free with 47.14, Katharine Berkoff set a championship- and American-record 26.90 in the 50 back, and Quintin McCarty posted a Pan Pacs-record 24.51 in the 50 back; Van Mathias added a 58.02 win in the 100 breast as Day 2 delivered multiple records and tight racing.
Kate Douglass, after a 51.0 split on the mixed medley relay, scratched the 100 free prelims at the Pan Pacific Championships to concentrate on the 100 breaststroke. She may still swim on a relay if needed, but no evening 4x100 free is planned. Claire Curzan also skipped the 100 free to focus on the 50 back. Day 2 features several notable scratches (Michael Andrew, Mary-Sophie Harvey, Luca Urlando, Gabriel Jett, Finlay Knox, Alex Walsh) and a lineup of events to watch, including Summer McIntosh in the 400 IM and Gretchen Walsh in the 100 free.