Australian Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships
Lani Pallister won the women's 800-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships, handing Katie Ledecky her first loss in the event at an international meet.
Australian swimmer Lani Pallister claimed gold in the women's 800-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, finishing in 8:06.1 and beating nine-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky, who placed second. The victory follows Pallister's win in the 400-meter freestyle the previous night and a runner-up finish in the 1,500-meter event three nights earlier.
"Today’s the most nervous I’ve ever felt in my entire life," Pallister, 24, said after the race, adding that she focused on the event her mother, Janelle Pallister, swam at the 1988 Olympics.
Pallister was on world-record pace through the first 600 meters but finished 1.98 seconds off Ledecky’s 2025 mark of 8:04.12, a time she said is a target for the next two years. Ledecky, who has won the 800-meter title at every international meet she entered until now, expressed satisfaction with her performance.
"The time I’m pretty happy with. I wasn’t really thinking too much about my history in the event… I’m really proud of the history I have in this event," Ledecky said.
Pallister concluded the meet with five medals – gold in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle and the 4×200 freestyle relay, plus a silver in the 1,500 freestyle – and noted she earned the results through hard work. Ledecky added four medals, including gold in the 1,500 freestyle. Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh, a world-record holder, earned silver in the 200-meter individual medley and additional medals in relay events.
"I’ll definitely be talking to my coaches about how to adjust my taper and training," McIntosh said, reflecting on a mixed meet that fell short of her usual standards.