Katie Ledecky secured her 16-year streak in the 1500m freestyle. At the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, she claimed victory with a time of 15 minutes, 36.09 seconds. Australian swimmer Lani Pallister finished 2.53 seconds behind, marking the closest any 1500m competitor has come to Ledecky at a major meet since her 2013 World Championships triumph. Ledecky shared her excitement about competing in a U.S. pool for a major international event, despite not being fully satisfied with her performance.

Ledecky’s dominance is unmatched; she holds the 13 fastest times in history, with her world record at 15:20.48. Italian Simona Quadarella ranks second globally with a time of 15:31.79. The tight competition from Pallister adds anticipation for their upcoming 800m freestyle event.

The Pan Pacific Championships, reserved for non-European swimmers, continue with daily heats and finals, broadcast on Peacock and NBCSN.

In other news, the U.S. relay team set a new world record in the mixed 4x100m medley relay. The squad—Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass—achieved a time of 3:36.70, breaking the previous record from the 2024 Olympics. Walsh also triumphed in the 50m butterfly, clocking 24.65 seconds, the fifth-fastest in history.

Meanwhile, Pallister narrowly defeated Canada’s Summer McIntosh in the 200m freestyle, setting a championship record of 1:53.67. McIntosh, a formidable competitor with several Olympic and World titles, aims to win five individual golds at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. She is the current world record holder in multiple events.

Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, who uniquely captured five individual Olympic golds, attended the event.

In the women’s 100m backstroke, Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith secured another U.S. one-two finish. Berkoff’s time of 57.93 seconds marked the first instance since 2018 that Smith, the world record holder, was defeated by an American at a major meet.

In men’s swimming, Australian Sam Short surpassed American Bobby Finke in the 800m freestyle. Luke Hobson and Gabriel Jett achieved another one-two finish for the U.S. in the men’s 200m freestyle, with times of 1:43.85 and 1:43.96 respectively. Hobson’s performance set a new championship record.

Luca Urlando sustained his remarkable form by winning the 200m butterfly in 1:53.11, surpassing Michael Phelps’ meet record from 2006.