Commonwealth Games, Day Five Finals: Aussie Distance Queen Lani Pallister Wins 800m Gold in Games Record Time of 8:11.12
Australia’s Lani Pallister has continued her Glasgow distance domination at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre tonight, breaking the Games record to win the 800m freestyle in a time of 8:11.12. That earned Pallister her fourth gold of the meet.
She broke the Games record of 8:13.59 set by Ariarne Titmus in Birmingham four years ago. That reaffirmed herself as a real deal in the countdown to the LA28 Olympics and the showdown with Olympic champions Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh, who will be awaiting her arrival in two the US for next month’s Pan Pacs in Irvine, California.
Pallister, the World Championship silver medalist and short course world-record holder, added the 800m freestyle to her opening night win in the 400m and her all-the-way victory in the first-ever 1500m freestyle contested at the Commonwealth Games. She was also a member of the all-conquering Dolphins 800m freestyle relay after winning silver in the individual 200m freestyle behind team mate Mollie O’Callaghan, and this 800 concluded her most successful international competition of her career.
As hard as she tried, New Zealand’s 2024 world champion Erika Fairweather couldn’t match with Pallister, who was just under world record pace going through the first 400m. The Kiwi held on for silver 14 seconds and 20 meters behind the Australian in 8:24.97. Australian team rookie Molly Walker produced the swim off her life to storm home in a personal best time of 8:25.93 and secure bronze. The young South Australian stood arm-in-arm with Pallister during the playing of the Australian national anthem.
Pallister went the first 400m in 4:02.30, just half second outside world-record pace and a time that would have seen her take silver in the 400m freestyle individual (won by Pallister in 3:59.56).
Pallister’s splits: 27:91; 57.88; 1:58.94; 3:00.46; 4:02.30; 5:04.68; 6:07.28; 7:10.26; 8:11.12.
The 24-year-old won the ninth gold medal in the event for Australia since Karen Moras won Australia’s first gold in Edinburgh in 1970 and following Tracey Wickham (1978 and 1982), Julie McDonald (1990), Stacey Gartrell (1994), Rachel Harris (1998) and Ariarne Titmus (2018 and 2022).
Pallister joined her mother Janelle Elford, who won silver behind McDonald in 1990 in Auckland.
