Swimming championships in Irvine, California

In August 2026, Irvine, California, hosted major competitive swimming events, including the U.S. Junior National Championships and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center.

During the U.S. Junior National Championships, the Santa Clara Swim Club established a new National Age Group record in the boys’ 15–18 200-meter freestyle relay.

At the Pan Pacific Championships, the United States team set a new world record in the 4x100-meter mixed medley relay on the opening day. The quartet of Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass finished with a time of 3:36.70, surpassing the previous American record of 3:37.43 set at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Australia and Canada secured silver and bronze in the event.

Individual performances for the U.S. were also notable. Gretchen Walsh won gold in the 50-meter butterfly, followed by teammate Kate Douglass in silver. In the 1,500-meter freestyle, Katie Ledecky secured gold with a time of 15:36.09, ahead of Australia’s Lani Pallister. The U.S. also achieved 1–2 finishes in the women’s 100-meter backstroke and the men’s 200-meter freestyle.

By the second day of competition, the United States led the medal table with 28 total medals. Other significant results included Jack Alexy winning the men’s 100-meter freestyle with a championship record of 47.14, and Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh setting a championship record in the women’s 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:28.01. Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita took gold in the men’s 400-meter individual medley.