Australia, US share spotlight at Pan Pacs

IRVINE, California (AP):

Lani Pallister of Australia defeated Katie Ledecky to win the 400-metre freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships on Friday night in a final that lacked some lustre without world record-holder Summer McIntosh.

Pallister was under world-record pace through 150 metres before touching in 3 minutes, 58.42 seconds. Ledecky had more than a second to make up on the final lap and took silver in 4:00.15.

“I could see Katie catching me on the last 150 and that’s a very nerve-wracking feeling,” Pallister said.

Erika Fairweather of New Zealand was third.

“It was OK, not super happy with it,” Ledecky said. “I never like being over 4 minutes in an international final, but I put together the best race I could. I thought I had a good back half, just wasn’t out quick enough.”

The United States swept the 4x100m freestyle relays, beating Australia in both the men’s and women’s races. The women had not defeated the Australians in the event since 2017.

The team of Chris Guiliano, Patrick Sammon, Destin Lasco and Jack Alexy held off the hard-charging Australians with a championship-record time of 3:09.01. They finished eight-tenths of a second off the world record of 3:08.24 set by the Americans at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in one of the most thrilling relay races in history.

Jason Lezak swam the fastest relay split in history to overtake France and keep Michael Phelps’ historic quest for eight gold medals alive.

“That record has been in a lot of people’s eyes for a long time,” anchor Alexy said. “I’m really confident we’ll get that record.”

In the women’s relay, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske and Simone Manuel won in championship and American-record time of 3:29.32. Douglass’ 100m lead-off split of 51.69 was the second fastest in history.

“My goal was to break the world record and it hurts to be so close to it and not get it,” Douglass said.

Pallister has firmly established herself as one of Ledecky’s top rivals two years ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 24-year-old Australian, who cites the 29-year-old American as her inspiration, has been piling up international medals in freestyle events ranging from 200 to 1,500 metres.

Pallister won the 200m freestyle ahead of McIntosh and Fairweather on Wednesday.

“It’s been an incredible week,” Pallister said. “Chasing my goals, chasing dreams and having fun doing it.”

Ledecky did not compete in the 200m freestyle this week. She beat Pallister in the 1,500m freestyle on Wednesday.

“I’ve never taken my competition for granted, even when I was winning by big margins,” Ledecky said. “I just have a lot of great competition from all over the world right now.”

McIntosh surprisingly failed to advance to the evening final. The 19-year-old Canadian’s time of 4:08.56 was the ninth fastest in the preliminaries and more than 14 seconds slower than her world-record time.

“I take full responsibility for my misjudgement in this morning’s heats,” McIntosh posted on her Instagram account.

McIntosh led all the way in winning the B final in 4:00.58, a time that would have earned her bronze in the championship final.

She has had mixed results in Irvine. She was second in the 200m freestyle before winning the 400m individual medley in a time that was about 3½ seconds slower than her personal best.

Sam Short gave Australia a sweep of the 400m freestyle events, winning the men’s final in 3:40.52 and breaking the 27-year-old championship record of 3:41.03 set by fellow Australian Ian Thorpe.

“I had so much left at the end,” Short said.

Zhang Zhanshuo of China took silver.

The Australians finished one-two in the men’s 100m butterfly, with Matthew Temple taking gold and teammate Ben Armbruster earning silver. Walsh won the women’s event in 55.15 seconds, while Canada’s Taylor Ruck took silver in 56.71.

Regan Smith led a one-two US finish in the 200m backstroke. She was under world-record pace after 100 metres and touched in 2:05.57. Teammate Claire Curzan took silver in 2:06.44.

Japan’s Yumeki Kojima won the men’s 200m backstroke in 1:55.38.

China’s Tang Qianting won the women’s 50m breaststroke in 29.67. American teammates McKenzie Siroky and Skyler Smith took silver and bronze, respectively.

Australia’s Sam Williamson won the men’s 50m breaststroke in a championship-record 26.36. American Van Mathias and South Africa’s Michael Houlie tied for silver in 26.42.

Mathias earned his fourth medal of the week. He won the 100m breaststroke and was part of the world record-setting US victory in the mixed 4x100m medley relay, in addition to taking silver in the 50m butterfly.

“Everyone’s been calling it Van Pacs,” Williamson said, “but after tonight we might have to call it Sam Pacs.”