Lani Pallister stuns Katie Ledecky with her first international 800 free loss at Pan Pacs
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Lani Pallister of Australia stunned Katie Ledecky with her first international loss in the 800-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships on Saturday night.…
On Saturday night at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, Lani Pallister of Australia made history by defeating four-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky of the United States in the 800-meter freestyle. Pallister swam under world-record pace, touching the wall in 8 minutes, 6.10 seconds, erasing Ledecky's championship record set in 2018.
Pallister expressed her focus and dedication to her favorite event, as she had been preparing diligently for this moment. Ledecky, taking silver with a season-best time of 8:07.26, acknowledged that the race was challenging for her but ultimately proud of her performance. The American four-time Olympic champion noted that the defeat was her first in an 800 free final since 2010, aside from a domestic meet in February 2024.
Meanwhile, Kate Douglass of the United States also made waves in the evening's events, lowering her world record in the 50 free for the second time in as many days. She finished the final in 23.19, one of three events on the final night.
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