{"id":651516,"date":"2026-08-15T21:15:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T04:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=651516"},"modified":"2026-08-15T21:32:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T04:32:51","slug":"pan-pacific-championships-lani-pallister-hands-katie-ledecky-first-second-place-in-800-freestyle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/pan-pacific-championships-lani-pallister-hands-katie-ledecky-first-second-place-in-800-freestyle\/","title":{"rendered":"Pan Pacific Championships: Lani Pallister Hands Katie Ledecky First International Defeat in 800 Freestyle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pan Pacific Championships Night Four Finals: Women’s 800 Freestyle<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The final night was the anticipated Ledecky-Pallister III.<\/p>\n

After strong battles between U.S. star Katie Ledecky<\/strong> and Aussie Lani Pallister<\/strong> produced head-to-head wins for each, the final individual race of the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships would break the tie.<\/p>\n

Ledecky won the 1500 freestyle and Pallister won the 400 free, each in decently close races, but with a clear winner.<\/p>\n

The final night from the Wollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California, brought the 800 freestyle showdown that has been looming all week.<\/p>\n

It was anticipated to be the closest of the races and the best chance for Ledecky to be unseated in the 800 free. It happened and it happened.<\/p>\n

Ledecky, the world record holder had been as fast as 8:04.12 in 2025. Actually, three of her top four times came in 2025. She has 16 of the 20 fastest times in the event with only Pallister and Canada’s Summer McIntosh<\/strong> breaking into the top 20 swims.<\/p>\n

Pallister came in with the sixth-fastest time ever (8:05.98) and the third-fastest performer behind Ledecky and McIntosh (8:05.07).<\/p>\n

Saturday’s finals lived up to the hype as Pallister handed Ledecky her first second-place finish in international competition in the 800.<\/p>\n

Pallister credited Ledecky’s place in history as elevating the sport, especially in the 800.<\/p>\n

“Without her (this wouldn’t have happened). It is because we are all chasing Katie,” Pallister said in the on-deck interview.<\/p>\n

Pallister opened with a slight lead through the 100, 150, 200, 250, 300. Pallister lead by eight tenths of a second after 300 as her lead grew just a bit.<\/p>\n

At the 400, Pallister was a halfway at 4:00.70 and a half second ahead of Ledecky at the 500, as they both split 30s.<\/p>\n

At the 600, Pallister was a body length ahead by three tenths of a second, which stood through the 650 and the 700.<\/p>\n

Every lap had Pallister just ahead, including the final turn.<\/p>\n

Ledecky picked up the pace on the final 50 desperately trying to make up the gap, but Pallister never wavered and finished in 8:06.10.<\/p>\n

Ledecky was second in 8:07.26, the first time she was beaten in the event in international competition.<\/p>\n

New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather<\/strong> was third in 8:18.31.<\/p>\n