Highlights and Records at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
Katie Ledecky extended her impressive 16-year win streak in the 1500m freestyle. At the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, she clocked in at 15 minutes and 36.09 seconds. Ledecky’s closest competitor was Australia’s Lani Pallister, finishing just 2.53 seconds behind with a time of 15:38.62. Pallister’s performance positions her as the third-fastest woman ever in this event.
This marked the tightest 1500m freestyle race for Ledecky at a significant international meet since she first claimed major titles at the 2013 World Championships. At that event, she narrowly edged out Dane Lotte Friis by 2.35 seconds. The race in Irvine was Ledecky’s first major international meet swim on U.S. soil. Reflecting on her performance, Ledecky acknowledged she wasn’t entirely satisfied with her time but valued competing in such an environment.
“Even with a swim I’m not super happy with, it’s just so much fun to be in this environment and get to experience this,” Ledecky expressed during a broadcast.
Ledecky still holds the top 13 fastest times in history, leading with a world record of 15:20.48. Italian swimmer Simona Quadarella ranks as the second-fastest woman of all time with a time of 15:31.79. The close finish with Pallister sets anticipation for the 800m freestyle event on Saturday. At the 2025 World Championships, Pallister nearly overtook Ledecky, finishing just 0.36 seconds behind in the last lap.
Mixed-Gender Relay Record
The Pan Pacific Championships continued with other record-breaking performances. Team USA shattered the world record in the mixed-gender 4x100m medley relay. Swimmers Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass achieved a time of 3:36.70, beating the previous record of 3:37.43 set at the 2024 Olympics. This performance concluded the first night of the championships with a gold medal for the relay team.
In addition, Gretchen Walsh secured the 50m butterfly title with a time of 24.65 seconds. This achievement is the fifth-fastest time in history and just 0.22 seconds shy of Swede Sarah Sjostrom’s world record. Walsh, known for her record in the 100m fly and 50m free, had previously recorded a time of 24.51 in June, making her the second-fastest woman ever in the 50m fly.
Other Highlights
Lani Pallister outperformed Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh in the 200m freestyle with a Championship Record time of 1:53.67. McIntosh completed the race with a time of 1:53.86. Both swimmers are tied as the fifth-fastest women in history in this event, boasting personal bests of 1:53.65. McIntosh had earlier set an ambitious goal to win five individual golds at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, aiming for the 200m free to be a crucial part of her efforts.
American swimmers Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith claimed the top two spots in the 100m backstroke. Berkoff distinguished herself as the first American to beat world record holder Smith at a major international meet since 2018, clocking in at 57.93 seconds.
In another highlight, Australian Sam Short triumphed over American Bobby Finke in the 800m freestyle by 5.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Luke Hobson and Gabriel Jett secured another one-two win for the United States in the men’s 200m freestyle with times of 1:43.85 and 1:43.96, respectively. Hobson’s time made him the third-fastest American ever, trailing behind Michael Phelps and his own previous personal best.
Additionally, Luca Urlando followed his 2025 World title in the 200m butterfly by breaking Michael Phelps’ meet record with a time of 1:53.11 at the Pan Pacific Championships.