Impressive Performances at Pan Pacific Championships

Katie Ledecky has maintained her dominance in the 1500m freestyle, continuing a winning streak that spans 16 years. Competing at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, Ledecky secured the title with a time of 15 minutes, 36.09 seconds. Lani Pallister from Australia posed the most significant challenge in recent memory, finishing just 2.53 seconds behind with a time of 15:38.62. This performance made Pallister the third-fastest woman in history for this event.

This race marked Ledecky’s closest 1500m competition at a major international meet—considering the Olympics, World Championships, and Pan Pacs—since her debut at the 2013 World Championships, where she won by 2.35 seconds against Lotte Friis from Denmark. Also noteworthy, this event was the first time Ledecky swam in a U.S. pool for a major international meet.

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 the broadcast.

Ledecky’s repertoire includes the top 13 fastest times in history, with her world record standing at 15:20.48. She is followed by Italian Simona Quadarella, who holds the No. 2 position with a time of 15:31.79. Pallister’s proximity in the 1500m increases anticipation for the upcoming 800m free event, where she previously came close to Ledecky at the 2025 World Championships.

The competition at Pan Pacs is exclusive to swimmers outside Europe and continues with preliminary heats on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET and finals at 10 p.m., available on Peacock and NBCSN.

Another highlight from the championships was the U.S. team’s record-breaking performance in the mixed-gender 4x100m medley relay. The team, comprising Will Modglin (backstroke), Van Mathias (breaststroke), Gretchen Walsh (butterfly), and Kate Douglass (freestyle), clocked in at 3:36.70, surpassing the previous world record of 3:37.43 set by the U.S. at the 2024 Olympics.

Gretchen Walsh also showcased exceptional skill, winning the 50m butterfly in 24.65 seconds, marking the fifth-fastest time in history. This record came just 22 hundredths shy of the world record held by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom. Walsh is noted for being the second-fastest woman ever in the 50m fly and holds world records in the 100m fly and 50m free. The competition saw her finish ahead of her compatriot Kate Douglass, who took silver.

Among other notable performances, Lani Pallister edged out Canadian Summer McIntosh in the women’s 200m freestyle, finishing with a championship record time of 1:53.67, only 0.19 seconds ahead. This was one of Pallister’s standout achievements on the same day she was runner-up to Ledecky.

Summer McIntosh, a remarkable 19-year-old athlete, added key accomplishments to her record, having secured individual gold medals at the 2024 Olympics and 2025 Worlds. McIntosh’s experience in the 200m freestyle—her first since the 2023 Worlds—forms part of her ambitious goal of winning five individual golds at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Michael Phelps was also present at the event, noted for his five individual golds at the Olympics and eight golds total at the Beijing Games in 2008.

Katharine Berkoff shined in the women’s 100m backstroke, clocking a time of 57.93 seconds, marking the first instance a U.S. swimmer beat world record holder Regan Smith at a major meet since 2018. Berkoff and Smith dominated the event, finishing first and second, respectively.

In the men’s competitions, Australian Sam Short bested American Bobby Finke in the 800m free, leading by 5.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Luke Hobson and Gabriel Jett secured first and second place in the men’s 200m free. Hobson achieved his first individual title at an international long-course meet, while Jett recorded a personal best time, establishing himself as the third-fastest American in history after Michael Phelps and Hobson.

Luca Urlando continued his momentum with a win in the 200m butterfly, surpassing Phelps’ meet record from 2006.