She's finally beaten Ledecky, now Pallister wants Olympic gold
Claiming gold in the 800m freestyle at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships was a huge coup for Lani Pallister this year, but with a change in coach, she is excited to see what the future could bring.
Swimming sensation Lani Pallister defied expectations by transitioning from butterfly events to long-distance freestyle swimming. This career pivot came about after a simple mistake, selecting the 800m freestyle instead of the 100m butterfly on a race program. Pallister, now 24, has since become the short course world record holder for the event and is a three-time gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Her crowning achievement came at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, where she outswam the powerful Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle long course. This victory was a monumental moment for Pallister, who attributes her success to a change in coaching from Michael Bohl to Dean Boxall. This coaching shift has enabled Pallister to achieve personal bests and gain confidence in her abilities.
Despite facing challenges such as illness and mental health issues in the past, including an eating disorder that prevented her from qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, Pallister remains resolute in her pursuit of an Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. She emphasizes the importance of humility and preparation as she continues to hone her skills and aims to defend her World Championships title in December.
For Pallister, the ultimate goal is to celebrate her success in front of her hometown crowd at the Brisbane Games, a fitting finale to her illustrious swimming career.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
