Lani Pallister Breaks World Cup Record, Again, in 800 Free in Budapest

2023 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – BUDAPEST

Australia’s Lani Pallister won the women’s 800 free on Sunday to closer her competition at the 2023 Swimming World Cup Series, winning by more than seven seconds and breaking her own World Cup Record in the event.

She swam 8:15.11, bettering her 8:16.82 from the opening Berlin stop of the meet. Prior to this year, the record was an 8:22.24 set by another Australian, Kiah Melverton, in 2019. The time ranks her 7th on the all-time list of top performers in the event.

Splits Comparison:

Berlin World Cup Budapest World Cup Difference
100m 59.47 58.44 -1.03
200m 62.59 62.13 -0.46
300m 62.11 62.4 0.29
400m 62.73 62.28 -0.45
500m 62.24 62.13 -0.11
600m 62.36 62.45 0.09
700m 62.38 62.82 0.44
800m 61.94 62.46 0.52
Final Time 8:16.82 8:15.11 -1.71

Pallister swept the women’s distance races this season at the Swimming World CUp, but technically doesn’t get a Crown because the Athens stop had a 1500 free instead of the 800 free (though she also set a World Cup Record in the 1500 in 15:55.73).

More globally speaking, the time moves her just 1.52 seconds behind her countrymate Ariarne Titmus, who won the bronze medal in this race at the 2023 World Championships. While Titmus’ specialization has settled into the middle distance 200 and 400 freestyle windows, she continues to race this 800 internationally, given that it’s usually scheduled at major meets after those other two events.

Titmus is Pallister’s primary target for an Olympic medal in this race. Pallister finished 7th at Worlds in 8:21.33. Her best time coming into the season was an 8:17.77 from the 2022 Australian Championships.

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Freddie
1 year ago

Any chance she makes a run at ledecky …. nah, I didn’t think so.

Sub13
Reply to  Freddie
1 year ago

Lol no one is making a run at Ledecky unless Ledecky gets sick or injured

Lisa
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Even when she’s sick back in 2019 she still won.

Lisa Simpson
Reply to  Freddie
1 year ago

😂

Boknows34
1 year ago

Now 7th on the all-time list.

Nick the biased Aussie
1 year ago

This is good for Lani’s confidence, she’s backed up 3 weeks in a row and finished with her best race. Looking forward to seeing what she can do in 2024.

Robbos
1 year ago

Great swim by Lani, hope she can improve going to Paris.
She has been a bit inconsistent on the big stage.

Last edited 1 year ago by Robbos

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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