Lani Pallister faces Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Irvine, California; Pallister aims to overtake Ledecky

2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships: Lani Pallister welcomes competition from Katie Ledecky, Summer McIntosh

The Australian distance specialist comes into the event with four gold medals from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

Lani Pallister is back in the pool with swimmers she knows can beat her.

And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Australian swimming sensation has been counting down the days until the 2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California.

There, Pallister will face longtime rivals, the USA’s Katie Ledecky and Canada’s Summer McIntosh , to show who is leading the way in distance swimming heading into the LA28 Olympic Games .

Fresh off a quartet of gold medals in the 4x200m relay, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle at the 2026 Commonwealth Games , Pallister may be in the best position of her career to finally overtake nine-time Olympic old medallist Ledecky.

At last year’s World Championships, however, Pallister nearly upset the 29-year-old in the 800m free, touching the wall just 36 hundredths of a second behind Ledecky. It was the smallest margin of victory in Ledecky’s career to date.

And as this is the first major international meet that Ledecky is competing in at home, beating the American in any event would be a special upset.

“I think all season the championship that I’ve been more excited for was Pan Pacs,” Pallister told nine.com.au. “Purely because the two girls in the world that are currently beating me in the 800 free, Summer and Katie, neither of them were at the Commonwealth Games.

“You had some athletes whose biggest competitors were at the Commonwealth Games, so that was their priority, but I think for me - I love a challenge and I love racing.”

Lani Pallister goes into Pan Pacific Swimming Championships with four new gold medals from the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Quick turnaround from Commonwealth Games

Pallister knew going into Pan Pacific Swimming Championships that this would be a real test of her mettle.

It’s not often that athletes at this level go from one major competition to the next on such a short turnaround, but that’s just how the timing worked out with a brief two-week break between the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacifics.

This is the first time in eight years the Pan Pacs are being held, as the 2022 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Usually, we wouldn’t have two major meets in a row, and we definitely wouldn’t typically go and race the Americans after we’ve had such a big week,” Pallister said. “It’s not normally everyone on the same playing field, but I know we’re all excited to go and give it a crack.”

Lani Pallister celebrates winning 800m freestyle gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games

A full-circle moment with Ledecky

Twelve years ago, Pallister watched with pride, and a little jealously, as her mother, Janelle Pallister , presented Ledecky with a medal.

This was the younger Pallister’s idol and dream, so to watch her mother, an Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, get the chance to speak to her, she couldn’t help feeling in awe.

“I remember watching her swim at US Nationals in 2014 earlier that year, and just being so excited that I got to watch her swim,” Pallister said. “Then being so jealous that my mum got to meet her and talk to her.

“I remember, even 12 years ago, that my mum said Katie was just the most incredible, humble and inspiring person then.”

Now, Pallister will attempt to inspire the next generation of swimmers, as she goes head-to-head with her longtime idol.

“I think that’s why I am quite a successful athlete now, is that I’m so competitive, going and racing girls that are better than me inspires me,” Pallister continued. “[It] makes me want to be better [and] makes me hungry to get back into training.”

Picture by 2026 Getty Images