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FLASH! Pan Pacific Championships: US Mixed 400 Medley Relay Crushes World Record Pan Pacific Championships Day One Finals: Mixed 400 Medley Relay One of the most fun events at the Pan Pacific Championships is the mixed medley relay. It blends the countries, strokes and men and women into one sensational race full of nation pride. It is also a chess match of which swimmers should swim which strokes – and could just lead to a world record. The U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan and South Africa squared off in this final event of the first night at the Wollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California. Will Modglin gave the U.S. an early lead on the backstroke leg. Van Mathias then had the breaststroke leg in 57.3 as the Americans went with a two men, then two women lineup. Japan closed in as the third leg dove in. Gretchen Walsh dove in for the butterfly leg with the lead and went a 54.99. as Australia gave chase with Kate Douglass and Meg Harris anchoring. Douglass had enough to get the U.S. to the wall in 3:36.70. She finished in 51.01. “One of the benefits of being the anchor is watching my teammates kill it and feel the energy of the crowd,” Douglass said. Australia set the meet record in 2018 at 3:38.91, while the U.S. set the world record (3:37.43) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Splits Pan Pacs 2026 (3:36.70) Will Modglin 53.40 – Van Mathias 57.30 – Gretchen Walsh 54.99 – Kate Douglass 51.01 Paris 2024 Olympics (3:37.43) Ryan Murphy 52.08 – Nic Fink 58.29 – Gretchen Walsh 55.18 – Torri Huske 51.88