Lani Pallister palms Katie Ledecky first worldwide 800m defeat at Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

Lani Pallister has toppled swimming legend Katie Ledecky for a second time in 24 hours to finish her gorgeous Pan Pacific championship marketing campaign with a fourth gold medal.

The 24-year-old Pallister was beneath world-record tempo for a lot of the race as she gained the 800m freestyle ultimate in eight minutes and 6.1 seconds from four-time Olympic champion Ledecky (8:07.26) within the American’s signature occasion.

Ledecky’s lone earlier defeat in an 800m freestyle ultimate since 2010 got here in a small home occasion in February 2024 in opposition to Canadian celebrity Summer McIntosh, making Pallister the primary to beat her over the space at a global meet.

“Today is the most nervous I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I was just so locked in and I’ve been really focused on what I want,” Pallister mentioned.

“The 800m is my favourite event. So to have the three titles this week and be just behind Katie in the 1,500 [is great but] … this is the one that I wanted.”

Ledecky, who famously signed an autograph for a younger Pallister a decade in the past, telling her to “dream big”, wrote on Instagram that she “can’t help but smile about another incredible race with [Pallister]”.

Pallister had overwhelmed Ledecky to win the 400m freestyle gold a day earlier and took silver behind her nice rival within the 1,500m free, in addition to downed McIntosh to win the 200m free gold and in addition gather gold within the 4x200m free relay.

Australia’s Dolphins nicely and actually flexed their middle- and long-distance muscle on the meet, two years out from the LA Olympics, with Sam Short additionally rising with three particular person gold medals after profitable the boys’s 1,500m free to go together with his 400 and 800 free titles.

Having overwhelmed Ian Thorpe’s 1999 Pan Pacs report to win the 400m, he erased one other Australian legend’s mark within the 1,500m.

His time of 14:33.97 was the sixth-fastest in historical past, breaking Grant Hackett’s Australian report that had stood since 2001, and got here a day after German teenager Johannes Liebmann smashed the world report on the European Aquatics Championships.

“I am proud of my consistency,” mentioned Short, who additionally gained the 400m, 800m, and 1,500m titles on the Commonwealth Games late final month.

“I’ve gone five well sub-15-minute swims now, so if I can do that here my average come Olympics, world championships, all I need to do is be my average and be contending for some podium places.”

Adding to a robust ultimate day for Australia, Zac Stubblety-Cook went from fourth to first within the 200m breaststroke ultimate, profitable in 2:08.09 from American Josh Matheny.

And countryman Jamie Jack gained the 50m freestyle gold in a championship report of 21.35 as American Jack Alexy took silver in 21.42.

“It’s awesome. That’s the best I could ask for,” Jack mentioned.

American Kate Douglass lowered her personal world report within the 50m free twice, profitable the ultimate in 23.19.

Douglass capped a busy night time by anchoring the US girls to a dominant victory within the 4×100 medley relay in a championship report time of three:50.43, with Australia second in 3:55.09.

The US males gained from Australia within the 4×100 medley relay.

Australia completed the four-day meet with a medal haul of 15 gold, 11 silver and 9 bronze, behind solely the US haul of 19, 22 and 9.

AAP/AP/Reuters