Pan Pacific Championships Night Two: McKenzie Siroky Surges to Gold in Final Meters of Women’s 100 Breaststroke
With their prelim times less than a half second apart, the women’s 100 breaststroke at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships was an anticipated showdown.
U.S. swimmer Kate Douglass was the top seed coming into the meet, while China’s Qianting Tang took the top seed in the morning. Meanwhile McKenzie Siroky was just behind, looking to build on her strong performance at nationals two weeks ago at the same Wollett Aquatic Center in Irvine.
In the finals, Douglass clung to an early narrow lead.
But things changed at the turn.
Tang pulled slightly ahead of Douglass with her quick pace.
Then it was the long stroke of Siroky that gradually pulled her into contention – then passed everyone for her first international medal.
Siroky got to the wall in 1:05.32, just out-touching Tang (1:05.46) and Japan’s Satomi Suzuki, who snagged the bronze medal at 1:05.65. Douglass finished fourth in 1:05.81.
“I just appreciated the crowd here, being on home soil, really gets the energy going. It helps us race faster,” Siroky said.
Canada’s Alexanne LePage was fifth in 1:05.94.
