Pan Pacific Championships Night One Finals: Luke Hobson Holds off Gabriel Jett in 200 Free
Luke Hobson looked amazing early. Gabriel Jett closed like crazy. In between, the U.S. has two pretty impressive swims in the men’s 200 free.
Hobson just held off Jett by .11 seconds to win gold on the first night of finals at the Pan Pacific Championships.
Hobson went 1:43.85. It’s the second-fastest time in the world this year. Jett is in third in those rankings with his 1:43.96, a significant marker as the U.S. looks to build back from a silver medal at the last Olympics and finishing off the podium at Worlds in 2025 in Singapore. They now have a potent punch of a pair of 1:43s to mount that charge in this Olympic quad, including the 800 free relay here at Pan Pacs on Thursday night.
Bronze went to Zhang Zhanshou of China in 1:44.59. he just edged Japanese record-holder Tatsuya Murasa in 1:44.76.
The 200 free world rankings haven’t gotten the Euro treatment quiet yet, with that event scheduled for Thursday in Paris. The only hit to the rankings came via the 800 free relay at Euros in which Leon Marchand rocketed to the top time in 2026 with his 1:43.76 off the front of the French quartet.
Leave it to another member of the storied Texas training group to join him. Hobson took down the meet record in the morning, erasing the 2002 standard set by Aussie great Ian Thorpe. He lowered it again at night.
Hobson took the race out fast. He was at world record pace in 50.12, then three tenths shy of his personal-best pace at 150 meters. By the push for home, it was a fading Hobson against a surging Jett.
Hobson got his hand to the wall first, despite Jett coming back in 26.42 for the final 50 to Hobson’s 27.09. But Hobson’s edge of .73 seconds on the first 100 was enough to guide him to the win.
“It’s awesome,” Hobson said. “I love a good race, especially when it’s a U.S. teammate. It’s always great to race Gabe. We’ve grown up racing each other, so we’re both kind of used to it, and it’s just fun. And he pushed me to go even faster than I could have tonight, which is great. And super happy the U.S. has two 143s now. That’s amazing.”
Jett wasn’t as tuned into the pace, as someone who admittedly swims with his eyes closed. But when he opened them late in the race and saw Hobson near, he knew it was a good thing. He called himself “extremely grateful” to see the time of a 1:43 on the board, especially in choosing between the 200 fly and 200 free.
“We’ve been racing since before college,” Jett said. “We going back to when I was at California. We’re just always racing side-by-side, it feels like, so he’s just the rabbit that I always have to chase. That was definitely fueling me coming home. But I mean, 1:43. That’s just crazy. I can’t even comprehend that right now.”
Zhang was just off his season-best of 1:44.53 that ranks sixth in the world in 2026, while Murasa improves his by four tenths. He was .22 off his national record from Worlds last year at 1:44.54.
Aussies Kai Taylor and Max Guiliani were fifth and sixth, respectively, in 1:46s, followed by Katsuhiro Matsumoto.
In a miniature battle of charter nations, Araon Shackell outstroked Charlie Hawke of Australia coming home to win the B final by .16 seconds. The American Shackell went 1:45.63.
