Pallister beats Ledecky, US sweeps relays over Australia at Pan Pacs

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Lani Pallister of Australia defeated Katie Ledecky to win the 400-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships on Friday night in a final that lacked some luster without world record holder Summer McIntosh.

Pallister was under world-record pace through 150 meters before touching in 3 minutes, 58.42 seconds. Ledecky had over a second to make up on the final lap and took silver in 4:00.15.

“I could see Katie catching me on the last 150 and that’s a very nerve-wracking feeling,” Pallister said.

Erika Fairweather of New Zealand was third.

“It was OK, not super happy with it,” Ledecky said. “I never like being over 4 minutes in an international final, but I put together the best race I could. I thought I had a good back half, just wasn’t out quick enough.”

The United States swept the 4 x 100 freestyle relays, beating Australia in both the men’s and women’s races. The women hadn’t defeated the Aussies in the event since 2017.

The team of Chris Guiliano, Patrick Sammon, Destin Lasco and Jack Alexy held off the hard-charging Aussies with a championship-record time of 3:09.01. They finished eight-tenths off the world record of 3:08.24 set by the Americans at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in one of the most thrilling relay races in history.

Jason Lezak swam the fastest relay split in history to overtake France and keep Michael Phelps’ historic quest for eight gold medals alive.

“That record has been in a lot of people’s eyes for a long time,” anchor Alexy said. “I’m really confident we’ll get that record.”

In the women’s relay, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske and Simone Manuel won in a championship and American record time of 3:29.32. Douglass’ 100 leadoff split of 51.69 was the second-fastest in history.

“My goal was to break the world record and it hurts to be so close to it and not get it,” Douglass said.

Pallister has firmly established herself as one of Ledecky’s top rivals two years out from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 24-year-old Aussie who cites the 29-year-old American as her inspiration has been piling up international medals in freestyle events ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters.

Pallister won the 200 free over McIntosh and Fairweather on Wednesday.

“It’s been an incredible week,” Pallister said. “Chasing my goals, chasing dreams and having fun doing it.”

Ledecky didn’t compete in the 200 free this week. She topped Pallister in the 1,500 free on Wednesday.

“I’ve never taken my competition for granted, even when I was winning by big margins,” Ledecky said. “I just have a lot of great competition from all over the world right now.”

McIntosh surprisingly failed to advance to the evening final. The 19-year-old Canadian’s time of 4:08.56 was ninth-fastest in the preliminaries and more than 14 seconds slower than her world-record time.

“I take full responsibility for my misjudgment in this morning’s heats,” McIntosh posted on her Instagram account.

McIntosh led all the way in winning the ‘B’ final in 4:00.58, which would have earned her the bronze in the final.

She’s had mixed results in Irvine. She was second in the 200 freestyle and then won the 400 individual medley with a time that was about 3 1/2 seconds slower than her fastest time.

Sam Short gave Australia a sweep in the 400 free, winning the men’s final in 3:40.52, breaking the 27-year-old championship record of 3:41.03 set by his countryman Ian Thorpe.

“I had so much left at the end,” Short said.

Zhang Zhanshuo of China took silver.

The Aussies went 1-2 in the men’s 100 butterfly. Matthew Temple won gold and teammate Ben Armbruster earned silver. Walsh won the women’s race in 55.15 seconds. Taylor Ruck of Canada took silver in 56.71.

Regan Smith led a 1-2 U.S. finish in the 200 backstroke. She was under world-record pace after 100 meters and touched in 2:05.57. Teammate Claire Curzan earned silver in 2:06.44.

Japan’s Yumeki Kojima won the men’s 200 backstroke in 1:55.38.

China’s Tang Qianting won the women’s 50 breaststroke in 29.67. U.S. teammates McKenzie Siroky and Skyler Smith took silver and bronze.

Australia’s Sam Williamson won the men’s 50 breast in a championship-record time of 26.36. American Van Mathias and Michael Houlie of South Africa tied for silver in 26.42.

Mathias earned his fourth medal this week. He won the 100 breast and was part of the world record-setting U.S. win in the mixed 4 x 100 medley relay to go with a silver in the 50 fly.

“Everyone’s been calling it Van Pacs,” Williamson said, “but after tonight we might have to call it Sam Pacs.”

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