Katie Kubiak and Leanne Smith’s world information, American information spotlight begin of 2026 Para Pan Pacific Championships

WALNUT, Calif. – Katie Kubiak (Cedarburg, Wisconsin) stole the present in record-setting style on day one of many 2026 Para Pan Pacific Championships, setting a new world and three American marks throughout her occasions on Friday at Mt. San Antonio College. 

 

Kubiak opened the day by breaking the American document within the ladies’s S5 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1:16.10, decreasing the earlier mark by 17 seconds. Kubiak stored the momentum excessive, clocking a world-record efficiency within the ladies’s S5 50 butterfly, touching the wall in 37.21 to take almost one second off the earlier document.  

 

“Honestly, I’m just so overwhelmed in the best way possible,” mentioned Kubiak. “I came in today knowing the schedule was going to be super tough, and I’ve been physically and mentally preparing for that for a few months. I was not expecting the world record today, and to break it was honestly incredible. It was a testament to all the effort that has gone into this season. So much has changed, and I’m just so happy to see it paying off.” 

 

Kubiak accomplished the record-setting trifecta within the ladies’s S5 200 freestyle, clocking 2:48.03 to interrupt the American document by 22 seconds within the prelims, and improved upon her American document with a time of two:43.86 within the finals.  

 
Two-time Paralympian Leanne Smith (Salem, Massachusetts) opened the finals session with a world document for Team USA, swimming 1:26.17 within the ladies’s S3 100 freestyle. Smith would discover the rostrum in her subsequent race with a third-place end within the ladies’s SM4 150 particular person medley with a time of three:18.65. 

“Breaking the world record was a little bit of a surprise,” Smith mentioned. “I’ve been building toward it over the past couple of meets, and this was my first time swimming outside, so the environment was definitely a challenge. Being able to work through that and still break my own world record was a huge relief. It gave me a lot more confidence going into the next two years to let things play out and not get too much inside my head as we approach the Games. I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend, racing a little more and continuing toward LA.”

 

Three-time Paralympian Brad Snyder (St. Petersburg, Florida) returned to worldwide pool for the primary time 2016, teaming up with Paralympian Evan Wilkerson (Wake Forest, North Carolina), Paralympian Olivia Chambers (Little Rock, Arkansas) and Paralympian Grace Nuhfer (Indianapolis, Indiana) within the blended 4×100-meter medley relay (49 factors). The quartet set a brand new American document with a time of 4:32.68. 
 
Two-time Paralympian Lawrence Sapp (Waldorf, Maryland) joined the record-breaking performances within the males’s S14 200 freestyle. His time of two:03.24 established a brand new American document, decreasing the earlier mark by multiple second. He would enhance upon his unimaginable efficiency within the finals, dropping his personal American document to 2:02.85. 
 
Piper Sadowski (Grand Rapids, Michigan) continues to personal the ladies’s S14 200 freestyle American document, decreasing her personal mark to 2:21.59 on this morning prelims. 
 

Hosted by U.S. Paralympics Swimming for the primary time since 2014, the worldwide championship options 10 nations and 170 athletes for 3 days of racing. The competitors supplies Team USA one other alternative to race on dwelling soil lower than two years earlier than the LA28 Paralympic Games. 

 

Para Pan Pacific Championships proceed by Sunday, with preliminary heats starting at 9:30 a.m. PT and finals at 5:30 p.m. PT. All occasions are contested in multiclass format, with outcomes decided utilizing the World Para Swimming factors system to create an equitable discipline of play throughout classifications. 
  
For full outcomes from day one, go to USParaSwimming.org.   
  
For interview and picture requests, please contact Ike.Hartman@usopc.org.