LEDECKY WINS 1500M FREESTYLE AT PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Katie Ledecky won the women's 1500m freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, on the opening night of competition. Ledecky recorded a time of 15 minutes 36.09 seconds. Lani Pallister of Australia finished second with a personal best of 15:38.62, whilst Moesha Johnson of Australia took bronze. The victory extends Ledecky's unbeaten streak in the event across 16 years of international competition.

In other results, Gretchen Walsh won the women's 50m butterfly in 24.65 seconds, ahead of teammate Kate Douglass in 25.06 seconds. Taylor Ruck of Canada finished third in 25.23 seconds. Luca Urlando won the men's 200m butterfly in 1:53.11, breaking the Pan Pacific Championship record of 1:53.80 set by Michael Phelps in 2006. Urlando's American teammate Carson Foster took silver. Katharine Berkoff won the women's 100m backstroke in 57.93 seconds, with world record holder Regan Smith finishing second.

The Pan Pacific Championships take place every four years and were not held in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The championships were relocated from Canada to Southern California this year to provide the region with a major international swimming competition ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Swimming events at the 2028 Olympics will be held at SoFi Stadium with a capacity of nearly 40,000 spectators.