IRVINE, Calif. — On Lani Pallister’s left arm, just below her wrist, she has a tattoo that reads “Hope is not a strategy.” The 24-year-old developed that outlook after a trying 2021. On top of missing the team for that year’s Olympics, she underwent a heart procedure and battled an eating disorder.

“I kind of just hoped everything would work itself out,” said the Australian, who went on to win a 4×200-meter freestyle relay gold at the 2024 Olympics. “It wasn’t until I kind of sat down and talked to my psych and the network around me and actually talked about all the things that had kind of gone wrong that (I realized) it’s not a strategy to just kind of coast through life.

“That year taught me a lot in resilience, and it’s definitely made me who I am now.”

Who she is now is one of the best swimmers in the world, one who looks as if she’ll be a major factor at the 2028 Olympics. Her breakout continued Friday at the Pan Pacific Championships, one of the biggest international meets of the year. She held off Katie Ledecky in the 400 freestyle, posting a personal-best and 2026 world-leading time (3 minutes, 58.42 seconds) and winning her fourth medal of the meet, her third gold.

After her morning swim, Pallister called the 400 an event she’s “still trying to figure out” and mentioned being tired of repeatedly seeing 3:59 on the clock after touching the wall. She dipped below it Friday, dripping below her entry time of 3:58.87.

That didn’t quite satisfy her.

“I would’ve liked (3:57), but I think as athletes you always want more,” she said, adding she wanted personal bests this week and is pleased she got them in the 400 and 1,500 freestyles and came within two-hundredths of a second of another in her 200. She has one more individual event left: the 800 freestyle Saturday, which will include another showdown with Ledecky.

The 400 freestyle was one of the most anticipated events of the meet, in part because of the potential showdown of Pallister, Ledecky and Canadian star Summer McIntosh. The final, though, did not include McIntosh, who holds the world record (3:54.18). The four-time Olympic medalist took her preliminary heat too easy and got out-touched by Yaqi Fan, a mistake she said “will never happen again.”

So it was only Ledecky and Pallister — the greatest distance swimmer ever against an ascending one who grew up idolizing her. A decade ago, Ledecky signed an autograph for Pallister, then 14, inscribing it with “Dream big!” On Friday, Pallister led wire to wire, a testament not only to the level she’s swimming at but also a reminder of the rest of the world’s best catching up to the once-infallible Ledecky.

Ledecky, winner of 14 Olympic medals, including nine golds, felt she didn’t start the race quickly enough and wasn’t happy to finish over 4 minutes. She also raved about Pallister, who won two individual medals at the 2025 World Championships.

“She has such great range,” Ledecky said. “It’s just great to have her in all these races and continue to push this sport forward.”

Said Pallister: “To be able to have someone as dominant and successful as her also be cheering and being excited for everyone else’s success is just a testament to who she is, and I think it’s a big reason why the whole world is a fan of Katie.”

Pallister’s performance this week, which comes on the heels of her winning five medals at the Commonwealth Games, has jumped out to her Australian teammates. Matthew Temple said her performance (as well as countryman Sam Short’s in the men’s 400) served as motivation heading into his 100 butterfly win. Short affectionately referred to her as “an animal.”

Pallister called racing “honestly my favorite thing” and said that’s been the case since she was young. Growing up in Sydney, she competed with her brother over everything, whether it was who could eat cereal fastest to who beat the other running home from the beach. That fire makes for a potent combination with her swimming roots. Her mother (and former coach), Janelle Pallister, swam at the 1988 Olympics and won three medals at the Commonwealth Games two years later.

The younger Pallister credited Janelle with never forcing her into the sport and stressing the need to have fun.

“I was often compared to my mom and my mum’s career, and I think she taught me a lot of humility and also how to deal with external pressure really young,” Pallister said. “She pretty much had the playbook to success for me. She’s done everything that I have, just 32 years prior.”

Well, not quite everything. This level of success — the toppling of world record-holders and the quantity of international medals — is new to the family. Pallister’s process, not relying on hope as a strategy, is working.

Other Day 3 Pan Pac notes

• The U.S. women set an American record in the 4×100 freestyle relay, highlighted by Kate Douglass’ leadoff split. She blasted a 51.69, only one-hundredth of a second off Marrit Steenbergen’s individual world record in the 100 freestyle. Douglass opted not to race the individual 100, instead swimming the 100 breaststroke Thursday. She finished fourth in that event.

“My goal was to break the world record,” the 24-year-old said. “It hurts to break the world record. It hurts to be so close to it and not get it, but I’m still really happy with that swim. Obviously that’s a huge best time for me, so I can’t be upset about it.”

Douglass, who trains at the University of Virginia, is one of the world’s most versatile swimmers. She said she plans to double in the 50 freestyle and 200 breaststroke Saturday, the final day of the meet.

• Regan Smith posted a monster preliminary heat time in the 200 backstroke, going 2:04.13, within a second of Kaylee McKeown’s world record (2:03.14).

The 24-year-old, an eight-time Olympic medalist who trains at University of Texas, was unhappy with her 100 backstroke Wednesday — “That was just not the type of swimmer that I like to think that I am,” she told reporters Friday morning — which she said left a chip on her shoulder for the 200.

“I know people have had their opinions about my performance and my teammates’ performances,” she said after the preliminaries. “Hope that shut ’em up for the morning.”

Smith was slower in the evening but still won gold in 2:05.57 but said she was psyched with the day on the whole.

“I think it was more about this morning, and this morning felt like a really great setup swim,” she said.

• The U.S. and Australia won four golds Friday, and Japan and China each won one.

The game has changed quickly.

It was the summer of 2018, days before France kicked off their World Cup-winning campaign that Antoine Griezmann laid out his plans for the big reveal.

‘The Decision’, he teased, would come at the end of a half-hour documentary broadcast on Spanish TV. Barcelona thought they had him, as did most fans when Gerard Pique – whose company produced the show – tweeted a popcorn emoji.

At the end of the documentary, however, Griezmann stood in front of the Metropolitano and revealed he was staying at Atletico Madrid in one of two different endings reportedly filmed to keep the decision secret.

The self-confessed NBA fanatic – inspired by LeBron James’ live show by the same name in 2010, when the basketball star joined the Miami Heat – was attempting to own his narrative. Instead he, and Pique, caught some criticism.

Kyle says that “self-commercialisation” did not have the impact it would have done now if it was Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.

Griezmann was almost before his time. Many prominent players now share regular updates from their lives on their own YouTube channels – from Haaland, to Ronaldo, Jude Bellingham and Lionesses’ star Ella Toone.

“Players are becoming their own distribution levers, with some in particular taking a driving seat in terms of ‘how I project myself onto the world’ and building their own channels and audience,” explains Kyle.

Now, in many cases, the players do own the narrative and fans are increasingly able to invest in their journeys, which are more accessible than ever.

“Players are far more culturally symbolic than they used to be,” says Kirkham. “It is not that players don’t do endorsements now, but they know they have to resonate with fans, so fans can really latch on to them and get behind them.

“Look at what Marcus Rashford did during Covid in terms of changing actual legislation.

“Young fans want to know players stand for something more – that gives them more chance to follow and pursue them, find a deeper connection with them.

“They look for stuff that is aligned to them, who they are, their causes and where they’re from. I think we will increasingly see that.”

We have a busy day’s racing on Saturday with flat action from Deauville, Doncaster, Lingfield, Newbury and Ripon, live on Sky Sports Racing…

3.10 Newbury – Group Two Hungerford Stakes – Never So Brave and Coppull head competitive feature

Never So Brave and Coppull head a very competitive feature Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes at Newbury this afternoon.

Never So Brave holds the strongest form, having enjoyed a fruitful campaign last year, with wins in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Summer Mile and then topped off his season with success in the City Of York. Andrew Balding’s gelding is nought from four this year but has been keeping good company and far from disgraced himself in the Sussex Stakes last time out. Bold bid expected.

Coppull is still lightly raced and produced a career best last time out in the July Cup where he came home strongly to finish a narrowly beaten fourth of 11. He steps up to seven-furlongs for the first time today and there could yet be more to come.

Like Coppull, Symbol Of Honour is stepping up in trip and hasn’t been seen over this trip since his first start as a three-year-old. He has a fine record at Newbury, winning here on both starts and most notably last time out in the Group Three Hackwood Stakes.

William Haggas sends Extremely Zain went into the International Handicap at Ascot unbeaten and was a short-priced favourite to continue his winning sequence, however he could only manage fourth. He remains very unexposed and could take another step forward here.

1.25 Newbury- Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes – Dubai Honour returns to take on five rivals

Dubai Honour takes on five rivals as he returns in our opening race at Newbury today, the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

This gelding is a credit to William Haggas and connections having won 12 races from 37 starts, winning four Group Ones and accruing over £5 million in earnings. We last saw him back in April when he finished a credible fourth in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.

Mount Atlas and Tabletalk represent worthy adversaries and are set to clash for a fourth time. Mount Atlas, has got the better of his old foe on two of the three occasions that they’ve bumped heads but is three pounds worse off at the weights here having outbattled Tabletalk in a gripping finish to the John Smith’s Silver Cup.

Gamrai remains unexposed after being pipped to the Copper Horse Stakes at Royal Ascot. He has since been bought by Victorious Forever, duly switching yards to George Scott from John and Thady Gosden and there could be plenty of improvement left in the tank.

Rebel Rocket is the only three-year-old in the field and takes the step up in trip on his fourth start after last being seen finishing sixth in the Derby. He is of interest.

3.25 Ripon – Great St Wilfrid – Fast Track Harry, Lord Roxby and Dark Cloud Rising clash

Fast Track Harry, Lord Roxby and Dark Cloud Rising all clash in what looks to be a typically open renewal of the William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap.

Clive Cox sends just his second runner in the last five years to the ‘Garden Racecourse’ this afternoon and could have a winning chance with Fast Track Harry who arrives here after a fine run behind Amazing Journey, who went on to win the International Handicap on King George Day. Having already won off of this mark of 95, he rates a danger to all.

Lord Roxby arrives here off the back of a course and distance success where he saw off the reopposing Dark Cloud Rising in convincing fashion. Both hold good claims here with the David O’Meara runner four-pounds better off at the weights, with a win over the track and trip of his own, and bids for a fourth win in the coveted contest for his handler.

Best of the rest

12.45 Deauville – Group Two Prix Alec Head – Rabbit’s Foot returns having not been seen since June where she beat recent Group One scorer Tiffany.

1.33 Deauville – Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano – Daryzan and Montreal lock horns in a fascinating affair.

1.45 Ripon – Restricted Class Two novice, £15,462 to the winner.

2.35 Newbury – Unexposed Scoville dropped two-pounds in valuable race.

2.55 Ripon – Go Vince Go and Educating Rita clash in the Silver Cup.

3.25 Deauville – Group Three Prix de Lieurey – Narissa, The Prettiest Star and Esna all feature.

3.42 Newbury – Arabian Force, Sea The Casper and Golden Story’s half-brother debuts.

3.55 Ripon – Ralph Beckett sends hat-trick seeker Swiped.

4.00 Deauville – Group Three Prix Gontaut-Biron – Leffard and Cualificar take on the likes of Map Of Stars, Wimbledon Hawkeye and First Look.

10.06 Saratoga – Grade One Christophe Clement Turf Stakes – Ancient Egypt and Survie clash.