USA Swimming has announced the selection criteria for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, which will take place next August in Irvine, California.
In November, it was reported that the national governing body sent a message to National Team members indicating that the 2026 Pan Pacs would be selected based on performances from the 2025 summer championship meets, and that was confirmed with Thursday’s official release.
The 2026 Pan Pac roster will be selected based on the top times from:
- ‘A’ Finals at the USA Swimming 2025 National Championships
- Finals at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships,
- Finals at the 2025 World University Games
- Finals at the 2025 World Aquatics Junior Championships
- ‘A’ Finals at the 2025 TYR Pro Summer Championships
Rosters can be a maximum size of 26 men and 26 women.
With the stroke 50s being added to the Olympic program for 2028, those events will no longer have a different selection process than the others. Previously, the non-Olympic 50-meter events were the lowest priority for selection meets.
You can find the full selection criteria here.
SELECTION PRORITIES
- Priority #1
- Available Swimmers who have:
- The four fastest times in the 100-meter Freestyle and 200-meter Freestyle
- The fastest time in each event other than the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles
- Available Swimmers who have:
- Priority #2
- Available Swimmers who have the second fastest time in each event other than the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles
- Priority #3
- Available Swimmers who have the fifth fastest times in the 100-meter Freestyle and 200-meter Freestyle
- Priority #4
- Available Swimmers who have the third fastest time in each event other than the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles
- Priority #5
- Available Swimmers who have the fourth fastest time in each event other than the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles
The 2026 Pan Pacs will mark the first edition of the meet since 2018, as the 2022 edition was deferred until 2026 due to a jam-packed summer schedule that came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic postponing the Tokyo Olympics until 2021.
Typically held quadrennially, the Pan Pacs are returning to Irvine where they were held in 2010. The event was also held in the United States in 1995 (Atlanta).
Using the 2025 summer championship meets as selection for Pan Pacs marks a different approach than USA Swimming has used in the past.
In previous editions, the Pan Pac roster would be determined at the U.S. National Championships of that year, usually about two weeks earlier, and then combined results from Nationals and Pan Pacs would be used to select the World Championship team the following year.
There will still be a U.S. National Championship meet next summer prior to Pan Pacs, scheduled to run July 28-August 1 in Irvine before Pan Pacs kicks off less than two weeks later (August 12-15) at the same pool.
I suppose the dual selection procedure is better for Pan Pacs than Worlds, but it is still dumb. I just do not understand USA Swimming sometimes (ok, a lot of the time).
Now that we have the Pan Pacs selection criteria, I may have missed it, but I don’t think there was an article showing that USA Swimming also updated the selection criteria for this year’s World Championships after the stroke 50s were added to the Olympics. It looks like they are now treated the same as every other stroke, which may cause roster issues for the US team, especially for the men.
https://websitedevsa.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/national-teamdocuments/selections/2025-world-aquatics-championships-selection-procedures.pdf
This rule and the SCM selection rule have got to be the 2 dumbest things USA swimming does. We need to move past choosing teams a FULL YEAR in advance especially when we’re hosting the Pan-Pacs (not oh you made the team this year and next year) I understand the idea of having less pressure for the teams but it’s the only way to ensure we’re picking the best for these championship meets. What’s to say someone like Kieran swims the 4 free and gets 2’s this year and let’s say Luka Mijatovic gets 3rd just behind Kieran and the next year Kieran either wouldn’t race or gets injured and can’t compete or is “washed” then what it just wastes… Read more »
You know that there are several former elite swimmers on the Board that have input in these kind of decisions, as well as other World Class coaches and they must agree with this policy?!? They weigh the advantages and disadvantages and think this is good for development of the Olympic team!
It’s been a blessing in disguise that we haven’t had Pan Pacs since 2018. Words cannot describe how much I hate the Pan Pacs (vs World Champs and Olympics), but as a swim fan I will still watch.
I really wish we could scrap Pan Pacs and other regional meets and just have a proper World Championships every summer except the Olympic year, but I’m convinced certain governing bodies (Europe especially) like having opportunities for their athletes to win “prestigious” international medals without having to face powerhouse nations like USA and Australia.
I like the European Championships a lot more than Pan Pacs.
Some Americans just can’t see any value in a competition that doesn’t include the US. The reality is Comm Games and Euros are more lucrative for athletes and their sponsors than Pan Pacs.
Okay but here’s what’s interesting – I agree with you, BUT here’s the google trends comparison on “Pan Pacs” vs “European Championships.” Yes yes I recognize the flaws in this comparison (different terms people use, European Championships meaning a lot of things), but I would’ve expected the Euro peak in overlap in 2018 to be much higher than Pan Pacs.
It’s a really low bar.
Not surprising, considering everything that is happening…
People want to compare to the past but this is actually different. In the past they used Pan Pacs and Nationals to pick a World team a year in advance (disastrous 2015 and an okay 2019)
This is picking a Pan Pac team a year in advance. If you make PP’s you can race any event. It’s a lot different than the 2019 Regan example.
I think it’s great to go a summer without having to qualify and just focus on one meet.
I’m assuming they will do a regular selection meet in 2027
nope. this is dumb. everything about it is dumb and they should be told how dumb they are.
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
This is a joke. I am not even American and I think this is stupid. Why are you picking a team in 2025 for 2026 when they’re not even the same year or swim season? Think of it like this USA swimming… Luke Whitlock went from being on the Jr team and a year later went on to make the Olympics. Rylee Erisman and Audrey Derivaux, look how far they’ve come in a year and how much of a threat they are to American women. USA swimming you are making a mistake with this selection. And what about the swimmers like Hunter Armstrong who almost had to quit swimming, what if he didn’t go to 2025 trials and in 2026… Read more »
this feels like an impractical jokers end of show punishment skit.
“alright murr, tell them we’re going to pick the 2026 team using a 2025 meet again.”