Lani Pallister wins women’s 200m freestyle at Pan Pacs 2026, William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Centre, Irvene, California; championship record, 1:53.67
Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 2026: Lani Pallister beats Summer McIntosh to win women’s 200m freestyle final
Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 2026: Lani Pallister beats Summer McIntosh to win women’s 200m freestyle final
Aussie swimmer Lani Pallister took the gold medal in the women’s 200m freestyle final, building on her successful campaign at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games. Find out how she defeated Canadian sensation McIntosh.
Australian sensation Lani Pallister held off a late challenge from three-time Olympic champion Summer McIntosh to win the women’s 200m freestyle final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 2026 on Wednesday (12 August).
Competing at William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Centre in Irvene, California, Pallister won the race in 1.53.67, setting a championship record.
“I said to Dean (Boxhall, coach) at the start of the week that racing this week at Pan Pacs is kind of the first taste of the Olympics in two years time,” Pallister told Nine.com.au , referring to LA28 .
“I often don’t swim the 200 individually, so going 1:53 is wicked here.”
The 24-year-old took home the Pan Pacs gold shortly after clinching a quartet of gold medals in the 4x200m relay, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events at the 2026 Commonwealth Games .
Part of Australia’s winning women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team at Paris 2024 , Pallister tussled back and forth with McIntosh before taking the lead at the 150m-mark and finishing off in style.
The Canadian came second in 1:53.86, finishing 0.19 seconds behind the race winner, while New Zealand’s two-time Olympian Erika Fairweather earned third place in 1:55.05.
Before Wednesday, the 19-year-old McIntosh had not raced the 200m freestyle on the international stage since the 2023 world championships.
“It wasn’t good enough,” McIntosh said, according to Swimming World Magazine . “My touch was not good. I know I have so much more than that. It’s disappointing. I’ve got to learn from it.”
McIntosh will also compete in the 200m individual medley, 400m freestyle and 400m individual medley at the championships, which are taking place from 12 to 15 August.
2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships: Lani Pallister welcomes competition from Katie Ledecky, Summer McIntosh
Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 2026: Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh to go head-to-head - Top athletes and how to watch live
Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 2026: Full schedule and all results