Sawt Falasteen - Australia's Pallister shines, mixed relay record falls as Pan Pacs open

Pallister emerged from a back-and-forth battle with the Canadian star with a victory in 1min 53.67sec -- a championship record for the meeting that brings together top swimmers from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and other non-European countries.

The first edition since 2018 -- after the 2022 Pan Pacs were cancelled to make room for other international events postponed because of Covid -- saw a slew of meet records fall along with a world record in the 4x100m mixed medley relay.

The quartet of Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass capped a six gold night for the USA with the relay win in 3:36.70 -- breaking the record of 3:37.43 set by a US squad at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Pallister, who arrived in Irvine off a four-gold performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, returned later to challenge Katie Ledecky in the 1500m free, pushing the US great early before settling for silver.

Pallister, who won the 400m, 800m and 1500m free at the Commonwealth Games as well as 4x200m free relay gold, spearheaded a strong four-gold performance for Australia.

A string of top Aussies opted out of Pan Pacs after racing in Glasgow, but Pallister was eager to compete in Southern California with the Los Angeles Olympics beckoning in 2028.

"I said to (coach Dean Boxhall) 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 said. "I often don't swim the 200 individually, so going 1:53 is wicked here."

Pallister had a narrow lead through 50m, trailed McIntosh at the 100m mark and edged back in front at the final turn and hanging on.

McIntosh finished second in 1:53.86, with New Zealand's Erika Fairweather a distant third in a career-best 1:55.05.

It was McIntosh's first 200m free in international competition since the 2023 championships.

The 19-year-old star, now training in Texas with Michael Phelps mentor Bob Bowman, said before the meeting that she was targeting Australian Ariarne Titmus's 200m free world record.

She skipped the 200m butterfly -- in which she holds the world record -- to focus on the free, but couldn't get the job done.

"It wasn’t good enough," she said. "My touch was not good. I know I have so much more than that. It’s disappointing. I’ve got to learn from it."

Pallister capped her night with an impressive performance in the 1500m free, clinging to Ledecky's shoulder through a fast first 500m before the world record-holder began to pull away to an eventual win in 15:36.09.

Pallister was second in an Australian record 15:38.62 and Moesha Johnson was third in 15:53.49.

- LA calling -

For Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medallist and 23-time world champion, it was surprisingly a first international meeting in the United States.

"I can't believe this is my first international meet on home soil, but it's great to get one before LA in two years," she said. "Even with a swim I'm not super-happy with it's just so much fun to be in this environment and experience this."

Pallister wasn't the only Commonwealth Games standout from Australia to shine on the opening night of the four-day meeting.

Sam Short, who pulled off the men's 400m, 800m and 1500m free treble in Glasgow, won the 800m in 7:37.02 with American Bobby Finke, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, second in 7:42.52.

Australian Ben Armbruster, fresh off a Commonwealth Games victory in the 50m butterfly, added the Pan Pacs title in 22.75, almost one-tenth of a second quicker than runner-up Van Mathias of the United States.

G.AbuHamad--SF-PST