The 2026 Pan Pacific Championships continued with the Day Two prelims on Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Wollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California.
The events for Thursday morning session include the 400 IM, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 50 backstroke.
This is a live recap of the women’s events.
Women’s 400 IM
Two highly contested heats saw plenty of lead changes and set up an intriguing final between Australia’s Jenna Forrester, Canada’s world record-holder Summer McIntosh and American Alex Walsh.
In the final heat, McIntosh split a 59.70 to open a big lead quickly.
Forrester pulled close during the backstroke leg and took the lead halfway through the breaststroke at Alex Walsh began to charge.
Going into the freestyle, Forrester held a slim lead over McIntosh and Walsh.
Walsh kept the charge in the final 50 but Forrester held on for a 4:35.36, just ahead of McIntosh (4:35.56). Walsh finished in 4:36.11.
The second of three prelims heats were hotly contested with a lot of lead changes.
In the second heat, Yu Yiteng took the lead in the second heat after the butterfly leg, ahead of Katie Grimes.
Grimes was ahead by a body length after the backstroke. Her lead dwindled in the breaststroke leg as Argentina’s Agostina Hein who took the lead at the breaststroke touch with Grimes and Emma Weyant just behind.
Grimes took the lead back at the freestyle turn but Agostina pulled ahead and touched in 4:35.43, a little more than a second off her best time.
Grimes was second in the heat.
In the end, Hein took the top seed in 4:35.43, ahead of Forrester (4:35.45), McIntosh (4:35.56), Walsh (4:35.72) and Grimes (4:36.11).
Women’s 100 Free
The women’s 100 free was another stacked race with plenty of Americans vying for two spots in the final.
Gretchen Walsh threw down a 52.27 to earn the top seed in the finals.
Simone Manuel and Austalia’s Olivia Wunch tied for second overall.
Torri Huske was the third American at 53.26.
