Pan Pacific Championships Night One Finals: Luca Urlando Takes Down Michael Phelps’ Meet Record inMen’s 200 Butterfly
The U.S. men led the 200 butterfly field into the finals at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships.
Luca Urlando and Carson Foster were the top two seeds in the finals with Michael Phelps‘ meet record in their sights.
It was the top time of the year for both swimmers, who shared Swimming World’s High School Swimmers of the Year honors in 2019.
With Phelps in the stands, Urlando and Foster were 1-2 at the 100 mark. On the final stretch Urlando pulled ahead of Foster and got to the wall in in 1:53.11 to break Phelps’ meet record in the event.
Phelps went 1:53.80 in 2006 in Victoria, Canada. It was his last Pan Pacific record as an individual.
“That’s the dream right there,” Urlando said.
Foster finished second in 1:53.47, ahead of Australia’s Harrison Turner (1:54.44).
Urlando, the reigning world champion, was fresh off of winning the U.S. National Championship in the 200 fly on July 28, at the same Wollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California.
Urlando won at nationals with a swim of 1:54.45, holding off Ilya Kharun (1:54.59) with out a shave and a full taper.
