Katie Ledecky maintained her dominance in the 1500m freestyle, extending her 16-year win streak. In a thrilling race, Lani Pallister from Australia finished close behind, marking the narrowest margin of defeat for Ledecky in a major international 1500m race in 13 years. Ledecky claimed victory at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, with a time of 15 minutes, 36.09 seconds. Pallister clocked 15:38.62, making her the third-fastest woman in history.
This race was Ledecky’s most competitive 1500m encounter at a significant meet since her major title debut at the 2013 World Championships at age 16. Ledecky expressed her enjoyment of the competitive environment despite feeling she could perform better.
The anticipation for the 800m freestyle event increased as Pallister closed the gap significantly. In the 2025 World Championships, Pallister narrowly fell short to Ledecky by 36 hundredths, emphasizing the rivalry.
The Pan Pacific Championships, exclusively for swimmers outside of Europe, continue with ongoing events. The schedule includes preliminary heats from 1 p.m. ET and finals at 10 p.m., streaming on Peacock and NBCSN.
“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,”
In addition, the U.S. team set a new world record in the mixed-gender 4x100m medley relay. Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass combined to finish in 3:36.70, surpassing the previous world record set by the U.S. at the 2024 Olympics. Gretchen Walsh impressed with a 50m butterfly victory in 24.65 seconds, which ranks as the fifth-fastest time in history.
Lani Pallister continued her impressive form by edging Summer McIntosh in the 200m freestyle, setting a championship record of 1:53.67. This placed her and McIntosh as the joint-fifth-fastest in history in the event.
Summer McIntosh, a rising star, aims for five individual golds at the 2028 Olympics. McIntosh is already a world champion and record holder in several events, including the 400m freestyle and individual medleys, as well as the 200m butterfly.
Michael Phelps, who watched the events, remains the only swimmer to win five individual golds in a single Olympics, achieving eight total golds in Beijing 2008.
Meanwhile, Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith secured a one-two finish for the U.S. in the women’s 100m backstroke, with Berkoff defeating Smith, the event’s world record holder.
Australian Sam Short outpaced American Bobby Finke in an 800m freestyle duel. Luke Hobson and Gabriel Jett ensured another U.S. one-two in the men’s 200m freestyle. Hobson set a new championship record, while Jett delivered a personal best performance.
Luca Urlando continued his success in the 200m butterfly, capturing the Pan Pacific title with a record-breaking swim, surpassing Michael Phelps’ meet record set in 2006.