Pallister Upsets Ledecky to Win 800m Freestyle at Pan Pacs

Pallister Upsets Ledecky to Win 800m Freestyle at Pan Pacs

Sports

Lani Pallister won the women's 800-metre freestyle at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, beating defending champion Katie Ledecky, who took silver with a season-best time. The victory followed a series of record-breaking performances at the meet. Preliminary heats on day one produced new championship records in the women's 50-fly, men's 50-fly and women's 100-back, while U.

S. swimmers set multiple meet records and a world record in the mixed 4×100 m medley relay. Later, Australian Sam Short lowered the men’s 400 m freestyle Pan Pac record and Kate Douglass broke the women's 50 m freestyle world record, underscoring the high-level competition that preceded Pallister’s win.

Actors

2026 Pan Pacific Championships William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center Gretchen Walsh Kate Douglass Taylor Ruck Ben Armbruster Gui Caribe Van Mathias Lani Pallister Summer McIntosh Anna Peplowski Luke Hobson Gabriel Jett Aaron Shackell Regan Smith Katharine Berkoff Claire Curzan Blake Tierney Will Modglin Alex Shackell Tess Howley Luca Urlando Carson Foster Harrison Turner Elijah Winnington Molly Walker Tiana Kritzinger

Locations

William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, Irvine, California, United States

Articles

August 16, 2026
4 total
Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships
Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships

New York Post • 16 Aug 21:44

Australia's Lani Pallister won the women's 800-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships, beating defending champion Katie Ledecky, who took silver with a season-best time.

Credibility 72% Manip. 8% Center
Australian Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at 2026 Pan Pacific Championships
Australian Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at 2026 Pan Pacific Championships

SwimSwam • 16 Aug 13:54

Lani Pallister won the women's 800-metre freestyle in Irvine, posting an 8:06.10, handing Katie Ledecky her first international loss in the event in 14 years.

Credibility 78% Manip. 12% Center
Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships
Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships

ESPN • 16 Aug 04:36

Australia's Lani Pallister won the women's 800-meter freestyle in Irvine, beating four-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky, who finished second.

Credibility 72% Manip. 27% Center
Australian Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships
Australian Lani Pallister defeats Katie Ledecky in 800m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships

The New York Times • 16 Aug 04:27

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.

Credibility 78% Manip. 8% Center
August 15, 2026
3 total
Day 4 Prelims at 2026 Pan Pacific Championships Highlight Record-Breaking Swims and Surprising Misses
Day 4 Prelims at 2026 Pan Pacific Championships Highlight Record-Breaking Swims and Surprising Misses

SwimSwam • 15 Aug 20:34

U.S. swimmer Kate Douglass set a new world record in the women's 50m freestyle, while several top athletes missed finals due to the two-per-country rule.

Credibility 72% Manip. 7% Center
Liebmann and Douglass break swimming world records in Paris and California
Liebmann and Douglass break swimming world records in Paris and California

BBC • 15 Aug 18:52

Johannes Liebmann set a new men's 1500m freestyle world record at the European Aquatics Championships, while Kate Douglass reclaimed the women's 50m freestyle record at the Pan Pacific Championships.

Credibility 73% Manip. 9% Center
Australian Sam Short sets new Pan Pac record as US swimmers dominate relays
Australian Sam Short sets new Pan Pac record as US swimmers dominate relays

SwimSwam • 15 Aug 05:55

Sam Short broke the men’s 400 m freestyle Pan Pacific record, while US teams set American and U.S. Open records in the 4×100 m freestyle relays.

Credibility 72% Manip. 8% Center
August 14, 2026
2 total
Summer McIntosh Fails to Qualify for 400m Freestyle A Final at Pan Pacifics
Summer McIntosh Fails to Qualify for 400m Freestyle A Final at Pan Pacifics

SwimSwam • 14 Aug 18:45

World record holder Summer McIntosh placed ninth in the 400m freestyle prelims at the Pan Pacific Championships, missing the eight-swimmer A final by 0.20 seconds.

Credibility 72% Manip. 8% Center
Walsh falls short as Harris wins women's 100 m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships
Walsh falls short as Harris wins women's 100 m freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships

SwimSwam • 14 Aug 03:22

Australia's Meg Harris claimed gold in the women's 100 m freestyle, edging out American Gretchen Walsh, while other finals saw record-breaking performances and multiple medals for the United States.

Credibility 78% Manip. 8% Center
August 13, 2026
1 total
U.S. swimmers set multiple championship records and a world record at 2026 Pan Pacific Championships
U.S. swimmers set multiple championship records and a world record at 2026 Pan Pacific Championships

SwimSwam • 13 Aug 05:25

American athletes broke several meet records and posted a new world record in the mixed 4×100 m medley relay during the first day of competition in Irvine, California.

Credibility 78% Manip. 10% Center
August 12, 2026
1 total
Day 1 of the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships sees multiple meet records broken in prelims
Day 1 of the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships sees multiple meet records broken in prelims

SwimSwam • 12 Aug 18:56

Preliminary heats at the revived 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine produced new championship records in the women's 50-fly, men's 50-fly and women's 100-back, while top swimmers such as Summer McIntosh and Regan Smith posted fast qualifying times.

Credibility 78% Manip. 8% Center

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