{"id":648463,"date":"2026-07-28T13:47:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=648463"},"modified":"2026-07-28T16:08:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T23:08:02","slug":"commonwealth-games-night-5-aussie-distance-queen-lani-pallister-wins-800m-gold-in-a-games-record-time-of-811-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/commonwealth-games-night-5-aussie-distance-queen-lani-pallister-wins-800m-gold-in-a-games-record-time-of-811-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonwealth Games, Day Five Finals: Aussie Distance Queen Lani Pallister Wins 800m Gold in Games Record Time of 8:11.12"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commonwealth Games, Day Five Finals: Aussie Distance Queen Lani Pallister Wins 800m Gold in Games Record Time of 8:11.12<\/strong><\/p>\n

Australia’s Lani Pallister<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

She broke the Games record of 8:13.59 set by Ariarne Titmus<\/strong> 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<\/strong> and Summer McIntosh<\/strong>, who will be awaiting her arrival in two the US for next month’s Pan Pacs in Irvine, California.<\/p>\n

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<\/strong>, and this 800 concluded her most successful international competition of her career.<\/p>\n

As hard as she tried, New Zealand’s 2024 world champion Erika Fairweather<\/strong> 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<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old won the ninth gold medal in the event for Australia since Karen Moras<\/strong> won Australia’s first gold in Edinburgh in 1970 and following Tracey Wickham<\/strong> (1978 and 1982), Julie McDonald<\/strong> (1990), Stacey Gartrell (<\/strong>1994), Rachel Harris<\/strong> (1998) and Ariarne Titmus<\/strong> (2018 and 2022).<\/p>\n

Pallister joined her mother Janelle Elford<\/strong>, who won silver behind McDonald in 1990 in Auckland.<\/p>\n