{"id":650924,"date":"2026-08-13T21:00:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T04:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=650924"},"modified":"2026-08-13T22:25:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T05:25:46","slug":"pan-pacific-championships-day-two-finals-quintin-mccarty-wins-50-backstroke-in-record-24-51","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/pan-pacific-championships-day-two-finals-quintin-mccarty-wins-50-backstroke-in-record-24-51\/","title":{"rendered":"Pan Pacific Championships, Day Two Finals: Quintin McCarty Wins 50 Backstroke in Record 24.51"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pan Pacific Championships, Day Two Finals: Quintin McCarty Wins 50 Backstroke in Record 24.51<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quintin McCarty<\/strong> delivered a championship-record performance in the men\u2019s 50-meter backstroke at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, charging to victory from Lane Six in 24.51 on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

McCarty edged Australia\u2019s Isaac Cooper<\/strong> by eight hundredths of a second. Cooper earned the silver medal in 24.59, while American Will Modglin<\/strong> secured bronze in 24.66 to give the United States two places on the podium.<\/p>\n

The winning performance lowered the Pan Pacific Championships record by two hundredths. Cooper had established the previous mark of 24.53 during Thursday morning\u2019s preliminary round.<\/p>\n

Quintin McCarty Wins a Tight Sprint to the Wall<\/h2>\n

Cooper entered the final as the top seed after breaking the championship record in the preliminaries. Modglin qualified second in 24.65, while McCarty and Mexico\u2019s Marcus Reyes Gentry<\/strong> tied for the third-fastest time at 24.74.<\/p>\n

McCarty, the reigning U.S. national champion in the event, delivered when the medals were decided. Racing between Modglin and Canada\u2019s Javier Acevedo<\/strong>, McCarty produced a reaction time of 0.55 seconds and carried his speed through the closing meters.<\/p>\n

The finish was difficult to call from the pool deck, with McCarty, Cooper and Modglin separated by only 15 hundredths of a second at the wall.<\/p>\n

McCarty said he had no sense of his position relative to the other finalists during the final meters.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all. I had water flowing by my ears and eyes. It was just really fun,\u201d McCarty said.<\/p>\n

Asked whether he had targeted Cooper\u2019s championship record after the morning preliminaries, McCarty said his attention remained on executing his own race, and being in front of an electric crowd here in Southern California.<\/p>\n

“You don’t think about the expectations, you just go out there and do the best you can. That is why we get in the water at 5 a.m.
\nSo when we race we are putting our best self out there. Honestly, on U.S. soil, it means the world. To come out here and represent feels great. There is nothing else like home.”<\/div>\n

The victory adds a Pan Pacific title to McCarty\u2019s growing sprint r\u00e9sum\u00e9. The NC State standout won the 50 backstroke at the 2025 U.S. National Championships in 24.34 and placed fifth in the event at the 2025 World Championships.<\/p>\n

United States Places Two Swimmers on the Podium<\/h2>\n

Cooper was just off his preliminary time but still secured silver for Australia in 24.59. Modglin was also slightly slower from his qualifying performance, moving from 24.65 in the morning to 24.66 in the final and collecting the bronze medal.<\/p>\n

Marcus Reyes Gentry<\/strong> finished fourth in 24.86, completing the group of four swimmers to break 25 seconds in the championship race. Chinese Taipei\u2019s Mu-Lun Chuang<\/strong> placed fifth in 25.16, followed by Bermuda\u2019s Jack Harvey<\/strong> in 25.36. Japan\u2019s Reo Miura<\/strong> finished seventh in 25.44, and Canada\u2019s Javier Acevedo<\/strong> was eighth in 25.45.<\/p>\n

Michael Andrew Wins the B Final<\/h2>\n

Michael Andrew<\/strong> opened the men\u2019s 50 backstroke racing with a victory in the B final. Representing the United States and competing from Lane 4, Andrew reached the wall in 25.02.<\/p>\n

Canadians Blake Tierney<\/strong> and Lo\u00efc Courville Fortin<\/strong> tied for second in 25.35. Kodai Nishiono<\/strong> of Japan finished fourth in 25.79, followed by Colombia\u2019s Anthony Rincon<\/strong> in 25.89.<\/p>\n