Pallister breaks Ledecky’s reign in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships

Australian swimmer Lani Pallister has ended Katie Ledecky’s long-standing dominance in the 800m freestyle, securing victory at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine. Pallister finished with a time of 8:06.10, breaking the championship record previously held by Ledecky since 2018. The result marks the first time Ledecky has lost the 800m freestyle at an international meet since 2010.

Ledecky, a four-time Olympic champion in the event, took silver with a season-best time of 8:07.26. The American had not been defeated in an 800m freestyle final at an international level for 16 years, with her only previous loss occurring in a domestic meet in February 2024 against Canadian rival Summer McIntosh. Pallister maintained world-record pace for much of the race before touching the wall first.

Pallister described her performance as a result of intense focus on her preferred event. “I was just so locked in and I've been really focused on what I want,” she said. “The 800 is my favorite event. Katie’s such a dominant force.” Ledecky acknowledged the quality of the race, stating, “That was definitely my best swim of the week, so I’m actually pretty happy with it. If I was going to get second tonight, I wanted to make it a good one. Just wanted to make it hard for Lani.”

Other notable performances on the final night included American Kate Douglass, who lowered her own world record in the 50m freestyle to 23.19. Douglass had previously broken the record in the morning preliminaries, taking the mark from teammate Gretchen Walsh. Douglass also finished second in the 200m breaststroke behind Canada’s Alexanne Lepage, who set a lifetime best of 2:21.73.

Douglass anchored the US women’s 4x100m medley relay team to a championship record victory in 3:50.43, with Australia finishing second in 3:55.09. In the 200m individual medley, China’s Yu Yiting defeated world record-holder Summer McIntosh to win in 2:07.45, setting a new championship record for an outdoor pool. McIntosh took silver in 2:07.47, while Australia’s Alex Walsh claimed bronze.

McIntosh’s campaign in Irvine was marked by mixed results. While she claimed silver in the 200m freestyle and bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay, the Canadian star failed to qualify for the 400m freestyle championship final, instead finishing first in the ‘B’ final. She had won only one individual event of the meet, the 400m individual medley.

The Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine have highlighted a shifting dynamic in international swimming, with Pallister’s victory over Ledecky serving as a significant milestone. The results underscore the increasing competitiveness in long-distance freestyle and the emergence of new record-holders across multiple disciplines.