2026 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
There are just two days left of the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, and the meet has been full of surprises already.
The women’s 400 freestyle will open the meet, and world record holder Summer McIntosh will be in the ‘B’ final after she finished 9th overall in prelims. She will open the meet, and then Katie Ledecky and Lani Pallister will battle in the ‘A’ final for the gold medal.
The men’s 400 freestyle will see Sam Short try to pick up his 2nd individual title of the meet after he earned the top qualifying spot in 3:44.34. China’s Zhang Zhanshuo and American Aaron Shackell qualified 2nd and 3rd behind him while fellow Aussie Elijah Winnington will be hoping to make it an Australian sweep of the top two spots.
Gretchen Walsh is the overwhelming favorite in the women’s 100 butterfly. She already picked up the meet record in the prelims. She currently owns the top 17 times in history in the event and will be looking to add an 18th in the final.
In the men’s 100 fly, Matthew Temple just edged out Luca Urlando and Ben Armbruster for the top seed. Just behind them, Shaine Casas and Dare Rose tied for 4th, and with only two athletes per country allowed to move on, they had to race a swim-off for the spot in the ‘A’ final. Casas came out on top by just one hundredth and will swim in the ‘A’ final while Rose will likely win the ‘B’ final.
Regan Smith finished nearly two seconds ahead of the rest of the field in the women’s 200 backstroke prelims, stopping the clock in 2:04.13, the 2nd fastest time in the world this season. Claire Curzan took 2nd in 2:05.97 and Peng Xuwei from China qualified 3rd in 2:08.31.
Keaton Jones picked up the top qualifying time in the men’s 200 backstroke prelims, touching in 1:55.24 and will be hoping to get back under 1:55 tonight.
The 50 breaststroke will be the final individual event of the session and Tang Qianting set a new U.S. Open record to earn the top seed on the women’s side in 29.59 to be the only woman under 30 seconds.
The men’s 50 breaststroke could be one of the most exciting races of the meet with Michael Houlie earning the top seed and meet record in 26.40, just two hundredths ahead of Van Mathias‘ 26.42 in 2nd.
Finally, the meet will wrap up with the 4×100 freestyle relay finals, and the Americans will be the favorites in both.
WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – Final
Top 8 Finishers
- Lani Pallister (AUS) — 3:58.42
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 4:00.15
- Erika Fairweather (NZL) — 4:02.35
- Kennedi Dobson (USA) — 4:03.56
- Maria Fernanda Costa (BRA) — 4:05.55
- Yaqi Fan (CHN) — 4:05.87
- Moesha Johnson (AUS) — 4:05.97
- Ichika Kajimoto (JPN) — 4:07.47
Australia’s Lani Pallister won the women’s 400 freestyle, her 2nd event win of the meet, as the only athlete under 4:00 in the event today.
Pallister jumped out to an early lead, swimming 27.08 on the first 50 to turn nearly seven tenths ahead of Erika Fairweather, who split 27.74 to turn in 2nd. Katie Ledecky was 3rd in 28.10.
Pallister extended her lead from there, splitting 56.46/1:00.07 on the first two 200s to turn in 1:56.53, two and a half seconds ahead of Ledecky’s 1:59.01 in 2nd place.
Ledecky started catching her a little on the last 200, splitting 1:00.77/1:00.37 on her last two 200s to Pallister’s 1:01.41/1:00.48. It wasn’t enough to catch her, however, and Pallister stopped the clock in 3:58.42, a new lifetime besty by four tenths from the 3:58.87 she swam at last year’s World Championships
Ledecky was 2nd in 4:00.15, a little off her season best of 3:59.02 from the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale and four seconds off her lifetime best of 3:56.46.
Erika Fairweather took 3rd in 4:02.35, about a second ahead of Kennedi Dobson who took another second-and-a-half off her prelims best time to finish 4th in 4:03.56. She came into the meet at 4:06.11 from June and swam 4:05.10 in prelims.
Fairweather’s best is 3:59.44 from the 2024 World Championships in Doha.
World record holder Summer McIntosh, who missed the ‘A’ final after swimming 4:0856 in prelims, won the ‘B’ final in 4:00.58, which would have been 3rd overall in the event, just behind Pallister and Ledecky.
MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – Final
- World Record: 3:39.96, Lukas Märtens (GER) – 2025
U.S. Open Record: 3:43.33, Rex Maurer (USA) – 2025Pan Pac Championship Record: 3:41.83, Ian Thorpe (AUS) – 1999
Top 8 Finishers
- Sam Short (AUS) — 3:40.52 **New Championship and U.S. Open Record
- Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN) — 3:42.42
- Aaron Shackell (USA) — 3:43.44
- Elijah Winnington (AUS) –3 :44.40
- Kazushi Imafuki (JPN) — 3:56.65
- Rex Maurer (USA) — 3:45.72
- Stephan Steverink (BRA) — 3:47.30
- Tatsuya Murasa (JPN) — 3:50.36
The men’s 400 freestyle was dominated by Australia’s Sam Short, as he won the event by almost two seconds and took down Ian Thorpe‘s record that was set four years before he was born.
Short started the race in 3rd, turning in 25.36 at the 50 mark to sit about a tenth behind Aaron Shackell‘s 25.21 in the lead and Elijah Winnington‘s 25.33 in 2nd.
That didn’t last long, however, with Short moving into the top spot after splitting 27.18 on the 2nd 50 to turn in 52.54 to sit two tenths ahead of Shackell’s 52.71.
He only extended his lead from there, swimming 1:48.08 for his first 200, a full second ahead of Shackell’s 1:49.19. He came home in 1:52.44 to stop the clock in a new lifetime best time of 3:40.52. This swim took down Ian Thorpe‘s August 1999 Pan Pacs record time of 3:41.83, set four years before Short was born in September of 2003. This also took a tenth off the 3:40.57 he swam at the Australian Trials in June.
China’s Zhang Zhanshou had a massive final 100 split of 55.48 pulled him into the 2nd place over Shackell’s 56.82, and he touched in 3:42.42 to win the silver medal. His lifetime best is 3:41.55 from the China Open in March.
Aaron Shackell set a massive lifetime best of 3:43.44 to take more than a second off the 3:45.03 he swam last August and become the 3rd fastest American in history.
Australia’s Benjmain Goedmans swam 3:47.15 to win the ‘B’ final, which would have been 7th overall, but still the 3rd fastest Australian.
WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – Final
Top 8 Finishers
- Gretchen Walsh (USA) — 55.15 **New Championship Record
- Taylor Ruck (CAN) — 56.71
- Alexandria Perkins (AUS) — 56.75
- Torri Huske (USA) — 56.93
- Yu Yiting (CHN) — 57.17
- Erin Gallagher (RSA) — 57.24
- Brittany Castelluzzo (AUS) — 57.99
- Vanessa Ouwehand (NZL) — 59.87
The women’s 100 fly final saw world record holder Gretchen Walsh dominate the field, stopping the clock in 55.15 to win by more than a second-and-a-half over Canada’s Taylor Ruck in 2nd.
Walsh was out fast, turning in 25.16 to sit just seven hundredths off her own world record pace of 25.09. She came home in 29.99, just barely breaking 30, but still setting the fastest closing 50 in the field. She will now own the top-18 swims in history in the event.
Ruck took 2nd in 56.71 (25.16/29.99), a new lifetime best by more than half-a-second from the 57.46 she swam in prelims. She came into the meet at 57.71 from April.
Australia’s Alexandria Perkins finished 3rd in 56.75, splitting 26.27/30.48 . She finished about six tenths off her best of 56.19, which she swam to finish 3rd in the semifinals at last year’s World Championships.
Alex Shackell won the ‘B’ final in 57.12, a little off her lifetime best of 56.78. This would have been 5th overall, but would have still been the 3rd American after Torri Huske swam 56.93 to finish 4th overall.
MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – Final
- World Record: 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 2021
- U.S. Open Record: 49.76, Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 2021
Pan Pac Championship Record: 50.75, Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 2018
Top 8 Finishers
- Matthew Temple (AUS) — 50.39 **New Championship Record
- Ben Armbruster (AUS) — 50.59
- Luca Urlando (USA) — 50.99
- Shoon Mitsunaga (JPN) — 51.16
- Shaine Casas (USA) — 51.34
- Katsushiro Matsumoto (JPN) — 52.18
- Finlay Knox (CAN) — 52.27
- Chen Juner (CHN) — 52.28
Matthew Temple won the men’s 100 fly in 50.39, setting a new Championship Record by four tenths over Caeleb Dressel’s 50.75 from the 2018 Championships.
Ben Armbruster started the race in 1st overall, splitting 23.47 on the first 50 to turn four hundredths ahead of American Shaine Casas and about two tenths ahead of Temple’s 23.65 in 2nd.
Temple took over the lead on the back half, swimming 26.74 to be the one of two swimmers in the field under 27 seconds on the final 50. His final time of 50.39 was a new best time by four hundredths over the 50.43 he swam at the Commonwealth Games to finish 2nd overall.
Ben Armbruster took 2nd in 50.59, splitting 27.12 on his 2nd 50 to touch one hundredth off his lifetime best of 50.58, which he swam at the Commonwealth Games.
American Luca Urlando swam 50.99 to finish 3rd after splitting 24.09/26.90. His swim was about a tenth off his best of 50.86, which he set in the prelims.
Thomas Heilman won the ‘B’ final in 51.20, which was four hundredths faster than the 51.24 fellow American Shaine Casas swam in the ‘A’ final to finish 5th.
WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – Final
Top 8 Finishers
- Regan Smith (USA) — 2:05.57
- Claire Curzan (USA) — 2:06.55
- Peng Xuwei (CHN) — 2:07.45
- Hannah Fredericks (AUS) — 2:08.21
- Jenna Forrester (AUS) — 2:10.05
- Madison Kryger (CAN) — 2:10.32
- Daniela Linares Danzos (MEX) — 2:10.39
- Rio Shirai (JPN) — 2:13.02
After winning two straight silver medals, Regan Smith picked up her first win of the meet in the women’s 200 backstroke, stopping the clock in 2:05.57 to finish about a second ahead of Claire Curzan in 2nd.
Smith was very fast this morning, saying in her post-race interview she “sold her soul” to swim 2:04.13 and set a new season best time. Tonight, she got out quick, turning in 1:00.54 to sit two tenths under Kaylee McKeown‘s world record pace of 1:00.73.
She fell slightly off that pace on the back half, splitting 32.28/32.75 to stop the clock in 2:05.57, picking up the win for the United States.
Curzan split 29.32/31.79/32.26/32.97 to finish in 2:06.44, half-a-second off her prelims swim of 2:05.97. Her lifetime best is 2:05.09 from the 2025 National Championships.
China’s Peng Xuwei took the bronze medal in 2:07.45 after she split 30.10/32.22/32.50/32.63. This swim was about a second add from her best of 2:06.54, which she set ini March of 2025.
American Phoebe Bacon stopped the clock in 2:07.02 to win the ‘B’ final, which would have been 3rd overall and Rylee Erisman swam 2:07.20 to finish 2nd in the ‘B’ final, which would have been 4th overall.
MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – Final
- World Record: 1:51.92, Aaron Peirsol (USA) – 2009
- U.S. Open Record: 1:53.08, Aaron Peirsol (USA) – 2009
- Pan Pac Championship Record: 1:53.57, Ryan Murphy (USA) – 2018
Top 8 Finishers
- Yumeki Kojima (JPN) — 1:55.38
- Blake Tierney (CAN) — 1:56.29
- Ethan Ekk (CAN) — 1:56.85
- Keaton Jones (USA) — 1:58.00
- Stuart Swinburn (AUS) — 1:58.07
- Daniel Diehl (USA) — 1:58.21
- Se-Bom Lee (AUS) — 1:58.91
- Hidekazu Takehara (JPN) — 1:59.45
Japan’s Yumeki Kojima picked up their first gold medal of the session, stopping the clock in 1:55.38 to win the men’s 200 backstroke by about a second over Canada’s Blake Tierney.
Kojima wasn’t out spectacularly fast, but he came back hard. He turned in 5th place at the 50 (27.49) before moving to 4th at the 100 mark (29.55/57.04).
On the final 100, he swam 29.40/28.94 to set a new lifetime best time and move into 1st place. He took three tenths off the 1:55.62 he swam at the Japanese Nationals in June.
Blake Tierney led for the first 100 of the race, swimming 27.00/29.47 to make the turn in 56.47, just one hundredth ahead of American Keaton Jones, who swam 56.48 on the opening 100.
Tierney fell back a little, splitting 30.18/29.64, but he still won the silver medal in 1:56.29. This was about a second add from his lifetime best and Canadian record time of 1:55.03 from last summer’s World Championships.
Canada also picked up the bronze medal with Ethan Ekk, who split 27.66/29.69/29.91/29.59 to move up from 6th at the 100 mark and stop the clock in 1:56.85. This was three tenths off his best of 1:56.54 from the 2025 Canadian Trials.
Jones swam 30.85/30.67 on his final two 50s to stop the clock in 1:58.00 for 4th overall. His lifetime best is 1:54.61 from the 2024 Olympic Trials.
American Jack Aikins won the ‘B’ final in 1:57.47, which would have been the fastest American time tonight.
Before this meet, the last time the American men did not medal in a backstroke race was in 1987 when they didn’t earn a top three finish in the 100.
WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – Final
- World Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2023
- U.S. Open Record: 29.59, Tang Qianting (CHN) – 2026
- Pan Pac Championship Record: 29.59, Tang Qianting (CHN) – 2026
Top 8 Finishers
- Tang Qianting (CHN) — 29.67
- McKenzie Siroky (USA) — 29.70
- Skyler Smith (USA) — 29.90
- Satomi Suzuki (JPN) — 30.40
- Sophie Angus (CAN) — 30.65
- Sienna Toohey (AUS) — 30.78
- Alexanne Lepage (CAN) — 30.93
- Morgan Cope (RSA) — 31.17
After setting the U.S. Open and meet record in the prelims of the women’s 50 breaststroke, China’s Tang Qianting picked up the gold medal in the final, stopping the clock in 29.67 to just out touch American McKenzie Siroky.
Qianting added two tenths from her lifetime best of 29.44, which she set at the China Open earlier this year.
Siroky stopped the clock in 29.70, a six hundredth add from her 29.64, which she set at the Mare Nostrum tour in Monaco.
Skyler Smith broke 30 seconds for the first time to win the bronze medal in 29.90. She took two tenths off her best of 30.08 from prelims. Before this meet, her lifetime best was 30.43 from the Pro Swim Series stop in Austin earlier this year.
The ‘B’ final went to American Emma Weber in 30.97.
MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – Final
- World Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2017
- U.S. Open Record: 26.30, Van Mathias (USA) – 2026
Pan Pac Championship Record: 26.40, Michael Houlie (RSA) – 2026
Top 7 Finishers
- Sam Williamson (AUS) — 26.36 *New Championship Record
- Michael Houlie (RSA)/Van Mathias (USA) — 26.42
- —
- Michael Andrew (USA) — 26.78
- Joao Gomes Jr (BRA) — 26.99
- Taku Taniguchi (JPN) — 27.08
- Junjie Liu (CHN) — 27.11
Yamato Okadome (JPN) — DSQ
Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay — Final
- World Record: 3:27.96, Australia — 2023
- U.S. Open Record: 3:35.11, United States — 2010
- Pan Pac Championship Record: 3:31.58, Australia — 2018
Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay — Final
- World Record: 3:08.24, United States — 2008
- U.S. Open Record: 3:11.74, United States — 2010
- Pan Pac Championship Record: 3:11.74, United States — 2010
