Lani Pallister, a rival to distance queen Katie Ledecky, has been making serious waves in Australian swimming with her standout performances. Following the retirements of Ariarne Titmus, Madison Wilson, and Emma McKeon, Pallister is shaping up to be one of the standout faces of the Dolphins’ future.
She recently won a top honor at the Swimming Australia Awards, following her stellar 2025 season, and was awarded the Short Course Program Swimmer of the Year title. The ceremony also saw Kaylee McKeown take the night’s highest honor, claiming the Olympic Program Swimmer of the Year award.
Assessing the 2025 Season: How Did Katie Ledecky’s Rival Lani Pallister and Kaylee McKeown Fare?
Pallister, who earned the prestigious honor at the ceremony held on the Gold Coast, had a stellar performance during the Short Course World Cup Series held in Toronto. She shattered Ledecky’s 2022 800m freestyle record by 3.42 seconds, posting a blazing 7:54.
Following her record-breaking swim, Pallister had nothing but praise for Ledecky, reflecting on how meaningful it was to surpass someone she had admired for years. “Katie has done so many incredible things for the sport. I have her autograph sitting at home from 2014, and for a period of time it was my screensaver. So it’s really special that now, at this stage in my career, I’m racing her,” she added, following the race.
Meanwhile, McKeown emerged as the standout swimmer for Australia at the World Aquatics Championships (long course) held in Singapore, winning two gold medals by sweeping the 100m and 200m backstroke events, and a silver in the 4x100m medley relay.
Like McKeown and Pallister, Ledecky was honored with the top award at the USA Swimming Awards, outshining fellow U.S. swimmers Katharine Berkoff, Kate Douglass, and Gretchen Walsh.
Ledecky Wins Women’s Athlete Of The Year at Golden Goggles Awards, Reflects on Her Experience
The American swimmer celebrated her time at the Golden Goggles Awards 2025 in September, where she received the Women’s Athlete of the Year honor. In her reflection, she discussed special family moments in Denver and also thanked her teammates, coaches, and sponsors for their support. In an Instagram post, she wrote:
“Golden Goggles 2025 ✨ Always a nice time with @usaswimming teammates and the swim community supporting @swim_foundation ❤️ Enjoyed some great family time with cousins this weekend in Denver too 🥰..We all have some big opportunities in front of us this quad and I’m excited about many things on the horizon! 🙌🏼”
She earned the honor after a dominant showing at the World Championships 2025, where Ledecky delivered exactly as expected by striking gold medals in the 800m and 1500m freestyle, adding a silver in the 4x200m relay, and a bronze in the 400m freestyle.