World Champs Profile: Lani Pallister Carrying the Australian Distance Banner
Leading into the start of the World Championships later this month, Swimming World will publish a handful of short profiles on top contenders for the podium in Singapore. Our next entry in this series features Australian Lani Pallister, who has elevated her standing in distance freestyle during the first half of 2025.
Lani Pallister
Australia
Events: 400 Freestyle/800 Freestyle/1500 Freestyle
The Road to Singapore
Pallister flourished at the Australian Trials for the World Championships, capturing titles and setting personal bests in the 400 freestyle (3:59.72), 800 free (8:10.84) and 1500 free (15:39.14). Clearly, her training switch to coach Dean Boxall at St Peters Western has proven fruitful, and positioning Pallister to be a major player at Worlds.
With Aussie titan Ariarne Titmus bypassing the World Champs, the distance onus for Australia falls squarely on Pallister’s shoulders. More, she’ll play a critical role as Australia chases the gold medal in the 800 freestyle relay, where the United States and China will present a considerable challenge.
Top Career Achievement
At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Pallister delivered a 1:55.61 split while handling the second leg of Australia’s gold-medal winning 800 freestyle relay. Pallister earned her spot on the championship-heat relay by posting the fastest Australian split during the morning preliminaries.
Previous World Champs Hardware
Individually, Pallister owns one medal from the World Championships, a bronze from the 1500 freestyle in 2022. The 23-year-old has also been part of a pair of 800 freestyle relays that made the podium, winning gold in 2023 and silver in 2022. Pallister has won eight medals during her career at the World Short Course Championships.
Stat Fact
Pallister is one of only two women to have gone sub-4:00 in the 400 freestyle, under 8:11 in the 800 freestyle and under 15:40 in the 1500 freestyle. The other member of this exclusive club? American distance legend Katie Ledecky.
World Champs Profiles
Be great if she can continue to improve her times in all 3 events. Another sub 4 min in the 400, go under 8:10 in the 800m and be mid or low 15:30’s for her longest event. Ofcourse medalling in all and helping us podium again in the 4x200m relay too!