The 2026 Pan Pacific Championships kicked off with a bang, setting the stage for an exciting few days of swimming action. The first finals session saw a number of Championship records fall, and there's a strong possibility of more to come. The women's 50 fly was a highlight, with Gretchen Walsh setting a new Championship record and challenging the world record. Walsh and her teammate, Kate Douglass, have been dominating the season, and their rivalry is only set to intensify. In the men's 50 fly, Ben Armbruster took the top seed, with a Championship record that was just four hundredths off the world record. The battle for the gold medal in this event promises to be fierce. The women's 200 freestyle prelims were close, with Summer McIntosh, Lani Pallister, Erika Fairweather, and Anna Peplowski all in contention. Luke Hobson claimed the top seed in the men's 200 freestyle, setting a new Championship record. The women's 100 backstroke saw Regan Smith set a new meet record and become the heavy favorite to win. In the men's 100 backstroke, Canada's Blake Tierney and America's Will Modglin were neck-and-neck, with Tierney taking the top seed. The Americans dominated the women's 200 fly prelims, with Alex Shackell and Tess Howley leading the way. Luca Urlando and Carson Foster were close behind in the men's 200 fly. The men's 800 freestyle will see Sam Short and Bobby Finke battle it out, with Finke holding the U.S. Open record. Katie Ledecky is the top seed in the women's 1500 free, and she's the heavy favorite to win. The final event of the session, the mixed 4x100 medley relay, will see the United States and Australia go head-to-head, with the Americans likely to emerge victorious and potentially break their own world record. The 2026 Pan Pacific Championships are shaping up to be a thrilling spectacle, with records falling and new stars rising.
