Non-Host Country Athletes to Watch at 2026 Pan Pacific Championships ...Middle East

By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam

2026 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

As the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships get set to begin tomorrow in Irvine, it’s time to take a look at swimmers from non-host countries (US, Australia, Canada, Japan) to keep your eye on as the action unfolds over the next four days of racing.

Gui Caribe – Brazil

Entered Events:

Caribe is among the more enticing international swimmers at these championships, primarily in the freestyle events, as he comes in with the 2nd fastest entered 100 free time of 47.10, and the 5th fastest 50 free time in 21.46. With the two-per-country limit for the finals at this meet, Caribe could be a serious contender in all three of his entered races.

The 100 free should be among his best chances to nab gold; only trailing American Record holder Jack Alexy on the entry lists (46.81), Caribe is followed by a trio of US swimmers. As long as he finishes inside the top eight in his respective races, he will be a threat to steal a spot on the podium.

The 50 fly brings a similar story, as he is seeded 5th with an entry time of 22.91, one of just five entrants with a sub-23-second time. The top seeds are US Swimmers Dare Rose and Michael Andrew at 21.79, though that time does not seem too out of reach for the Brazilian speedster. Caribe will have good battles in each of his races in Irvine, and as one of just 11 Brazilian swimmers entered in this meet, he will look to deliver some hardware for his home country.

Tang Qianting – China

Entered Events:

The women’s sprint breaststroke events will feature one of the world’s fastest performers this season in the form of Tang Qianting of China. Qianting is the fastest 50 breaststroker in the world this season in 29.44, one of just two swimmers in the world under 30 seconds, the other will also be at these championships, that being the American McKenzie Siroky (29.64).

Tang Qianting (photo: Jack Spitser)

That matchup alone should be one of the biggest showdowns of the week. However, it will also be one of just two sure-to-be competitive women’s sprint breaststroke bouts, as in the 100 breast, where she is the 2nd fastest performer in the world this season in 1:05.36, will also feature Japan’s Satomi Suzuki, Americans Siroky and (potentially) Kate Douglass, Australia Sienna Toohey, and Canada’s Alexanne Lepage, making for a very diverse, and packed 100 breast field.

Though we will only see Qianting in a pair of individual events at these championships, it very well may be two events that she can win and secure big medals for China.

Letian Wan – China

Entered Events:

Another big name for China will be backstroker Letian Wan, who, in the absence of a few Australian talents (Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan), has new pathways to a potentially solid medal haul in Irvine.

Letian Wan (photo: Jack Spitser)

Wan comes into this meet as the 2nd fastest entrant in the 50 back, only trailing reigning World Champion Katharine Berkoff. Behind her are notable names such as Regan Smith, Claire Curzan, Iona Anderson, and Ingrid Wilm. Though again, the two-per-country rule for finals should give her a slight edge here, as she is capable of competing with some of those top talents, as she holds a lifetime best of 27.06 from the 2025 China Spring National Championships.

The 100 back will be more of a challenge to find the podium, as Smith, Berkoff, Curzan, Taylor Ruck, Anderson, and Wilm are just some of the names that sit above her on the entry list, and just behind her is fellow Chinese swimmer Xuwei Peng. With the depth of talent in the field in the 100 backstroke, she will likely need to swim faster than her lifetime best of 59.02 if she wants to earn a spot in the final and on the podium.

Michael Houlie – South Africa

Entered Events:

Coming off of a runner-up finish in the 50 breast (26.77) and a 7th place performance in the 100 breast (1:00.35) at the Commonwealth Games late last month, Michael Houlie of South Africa could see even more success as he takes on some stiff competition at these championships in Irvine.

Michael Houlie (photo: Jack Spitser)

Those final times were not the best times that Houlie notched at the Commonwealth Games; in fact, he swam a career-best 26.53 in the prelims of the 100 breast and touched in 1:00.03 in the 100 breast semifinals. Though in that semifinal swim of the 100 breast, Houlie unleashed a new Commonwealth Games record and career best of 26.38. That 50 breast in particular makes him the 2nd fastest performer in the world this season, sandwiched between American Van Mathias (26.30) and Australian Sam Williamson, who out-touched Houlie to claim the gold in Glasgow at the Commonwealths (26.50).

The 100 breast may not be as much of his bread and butter, though the 50 breast is set up to feature all three of the fastest performers in the world this season. If he finds a way to preserve some juice on the last 50 of his 100 breast, he very well could find himself in that championship final in Irvine, competing for a spot on the podium as well.

Erika Fairweather – New Zealand

Entered Events:

The talented New Zealander Erika Fairweather has had the incredibly tough task of racing the same events as the likes of Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and Summer McIntosh, frequently keeping her outside of the podium at several international competitions. However, she has never been all that far behind that titanlike trio.

Erika Fairweather (photo: Jack Spitser)

Fairweather should be a contender in three of the four events she is entered in; those being the 200, 400, and 800 freestyles. After the withdrawal of Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan in the 200 free, she now moves up to 3rd on the entry list behind both McIntosh and Pallister. She should be pretty safe to reach the final in the 400 free as well, seeded as one of four sub 4:00 times in 3:59.44, only trailing McIntosh (3:54.18), Ledecky (3:56.46), and Pallister (3:58.87); if any of those top three manages to slip up, Fairweather could swoop in and collect a medal.

The 800 free also provides a door for Fairweather to pick up a medal; with only Ledecky, Pallister, and Katie Grimes ahead of her on the psych sheet, Fairweather is a solid swim away from earning herself a trip to the podium.

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