Gretchen Walsh wins women's 50 fly as US dominates Pan Pacs
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 13, 2026, 3:48 AM
Last updated Aug 13, 2026
Gretchen Walsh secured the women's 50-meter butterfly title ahead of teammate Kate Douglass on the opening night of the Pan Pacific Championships at the outdoor pool in Irvine, California. Walsh finished in 24.65 seconds, improving her morning prelim time, while Douglass placed second at 25.06. The U.S. achieved three 1-2 finishes, with Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith taking the top two spots in the women's 100-meter backstroke. This edition of the Pan Pacs, the first since 2018, is being held in Southern California as a precursor to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The event is notable for limited swimmer representation, as each nation is restricted to two competitors per final.
- •Walsh wins women's 50 fly with a time of 24.65 seconds.
- •Douglass finishes second, breaking 25 seconds in prelims.
- •Berkoff and Smith secure 1-2 finishes in women's 100 backstroke.
- •American men Hobson and Jett finish 1-2 in men's 200 freestyle.
- •Pan Pacs returned after being canceled in 2022 due to COVID-19.
- 3:48 AMYahoo Sports — Walsh blazes to 50 fly win as the US opens Pan Pacs with 3 sweeping 1-2 finishes
"Gretchen Walsh won the women's 50-meter butterfly over teammate Kate Douglass to lead a trio of 1-2 finishes by the United States on opening night of the Pan Pacific Championships on Wednesday. Walsh touched in 24.65 seconds, bettering her time of 24.91 from the morning preliminaries at the outdoor pool in Irvine, California. Douglass became the third woman to break the 25-second barrier in the event with a prelim time of 24.99.
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