2014 Jr Pan Pacific Championships: Day 4 Finals Real-Time Recaps

2014 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 27th-Sunday, August 31st
• Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
• Prelims 9AM (local time) / 12PM PDT / 3PM EDT / 4AM+1 Tokyo / 5AM+1 Sydney / 9PM Cape Town / 4PM Rio de Janeiro / 8PM London / 9PM Paris
• 2012 results
• Psych Sheets
• Live stream
• Live results
• Medals Table After Day 3
• Full Day 3 finals recap
• Results also available on Meet Mobile under “2014 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships”

Saturday, August 30th:

• 200 IM
• 50 free
• 200 breast
• Girls 1500 free (timed finals)
• Boys 800 free (timed finals)
• 4×100 medley relay (finals only)

Women’s 200 IM

Ella Eastin of the United States went into the finals as the second fastest qualifier, but was determined to leave the pool with the evening’s fastest time. Sachi Mochida of Japan turned first at the 50 meter mark with a butterfly split of 28.94, that was the last time that Eastin would trail in the race. The American took control of the event in the backstroke eventually taking the gold in a time of 2:13.12.

With the win Eastin completes the sweep of women’s IM events.

Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey split a 30.00 in her final 50 meters, more than a second faster than Easton, but it was not enough as she finished second in a time of 2:13.77. Although Harvey was not able to grab the gold she shaved off almost two and a half seconds off of her entry time.

Kim Williams of the United States collected the bronze finishing in a time of 2:14.18.

Mochida finished fourth in a time of 2:16.21 followed by Tianni Gilmour of Australia (2:16.68), Hiroko Makino of Japan (2:16.96), Monika Gonzalez Hermosillo of Mexico (2:19.55) and Meg Bailey of Australia (2:19.72).

 Men’s 200 IM

After winning both the 200 butterfly and 400 IM American Andrew Seliskar went into the 200 IM looking for his third individual gold medal of the competition. He was challenged by teammate Curtis Ogren for much of the race. Going into the final 50 meters Ogren trailed Seliskar by only 35 one-hundredths of a second. Seliskar separated himself from Ogren in the freestyle posting a split of 28.47 winning the event in a time of 2:00.81.

Ogren took the silver in a time of 2:02.21, holding off a late charge by Juran Mizohata of Japan who had the fastest final 50 of the final, recording a split time of 27.98. Mizohata finished in a time of 2:02.31.

Australian Jake Baggaley finished fourth in a time of 2:02.75 followed by Bradlee Ashby of New Zealand (2:03.28), Canadian Robert Hill (2:04.68), Wang Zhou of China (2:06.20) and Joachim Bardrum of Australia (2:08.79)

Women’s 50 freestyle

American Amy Bilquist took gold in the women’s 50 freestyle posting a time of 25.04. Bilquist came into the competition with a season and lifetime best of 25.28. Her time moves her into the fifth place position in the 18 and under world rankings.

Zhu Menghui of China, who destroyed her lifetime best of 25.80 in the prelims posting a 25.08, took the silver in a time of 25.12.

Lucy McJannett, who led off the Australian gold medal winning 4 x 100 freestyle relay team, took the bronze in a time of 25.38.

Rikako Ikee of Japan finished fourth in a time of 25.56 followed by Australian Shayna Jack (25.71), American Stanzi Moseley (26.06), Zheng Yao of China (26.25) and Canadian Heather Lam (26.76).

Men’s 50 freestyle

The United States collected their fourth gold in the first four events of the evening as Paul Powers took the 50 freestyle in a new Junior Pan Pacific Championship record time of 22.20. In the prelims Powers broke Haumi Maxwell’s 2010 championship record of 22.48 posting a 22.24.

Australian Blake Jones collected the silver touching in a time of 22.67, only two one-hundredths of a second ahead of Canadian Cameron Kidd who won the bronze in a time of 22.69.

American James Jones and Australian Vincent Dai tied for fourth with both men touching in a time of 22.81. They were followed by Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan who recorded a 23.21, Canadian Markus Thormeyer (23.34) and Lorenzo Loria Elias of Mexico (23.55).

Women’s 200 breaststroke

Runa Imai of Japan ended the Americans gold medal streak by taking the women’s 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:26.04. Imai was well off her season’s best time of 2:24.00, missing Kierra Smith’s 2012 record of 2:25.78.

The race for the silver medal was a good one between Manami Chida of Japan and Emily Kopas of the United States. At the 100 meter mark Kopas had a tenth of a second lead over Chida, but it was Chida who got the better of the American in the second half of the race finishing in a time of 2:28.47. Kopas collected the bronze finishing in a time of 2:28.83.

Lilly King of the United States finished fourth in a time of 2:29.83 followed by Canadians Kelsey Wog (2:32.45) and Genevieve Robertson (2:33.14), Abbey Harkin of Australia (2:35.41) and Maria Jimenez Peon of Mexico (2:37.77).

Men’s 200 breaststroke

For the second event in a row Japanese swimmers collected both the gold and silver, this time the race for the top spot on the podium was much tighter. Ryuya Mura and Rintaro Okubo went back and forth throughout the race. Mura led by 48 one-hundredths of a second at the 50, Okubo led by 68 one-hundredths of a second at the 100, Mura took over the lead at the 150 meter mark, one that he would not relinquish, winning the event in a time of 2:13.55. Okubo finished second in a time of 2:13.75.

Splits:

• Mura – 30.96/1:05.10 (34.14)/1:39.52 (34.42)/2:13.55 (34.03)
• Okubo – 31.44/1:04.78 (33.34)/1:39.85 (35.07)/2:13.75 (33.90)

Matthew Wilson of Australia picked up the bronze finishing in a time of 2:14.71. Wilson’s time is a new Australian age group record for 16 year olds beating the record of 2:15.46 set by Buster Sykes in 2010.

George Schroder of New Zealand finished fourth in a time of 2:14.95 followed by Liu Yunsong of China (2:15.19), Canadians James Guest (2:16.46) and James Dergousoff (2:17.52) and American Alex Evdokimov (2:18.45).

Women’s 1500 freestyle

American Sierra Schmidt took gold on the first evening of competition, in the 800 freestyle and did so once again on the final evening of competition this time in the 1500 freestyle. Schmidt took over the lead at the 400 meter mark, a lead that she would not give up, finishing in a time final time of 16:26.81.

She was followed by Australian Moesha Johnson, who took close to half a minute off of her entry time, grabbing the silver in a time of 16:31.96. Isabella Rongione of the United States finished third in a time of 16:33.60.

Australian Tamsin Cook finished fourth in a time of 16:33.72 followed by Chinatsu Sato of Japan (16:38.11), American Madison Homovich (16:39.14), Canadian Alexandra Aitchison (16:46.28) and Regan Kology of the United States (16:48.39).

Men’s 800 freestyle

American Townley Haas has had an interesting competition. On the first night he took the 200 freestyle in a new championship record, he then went on to miss the 100 freestyle final, finishing as the third fastest American in the prelims, but posted the top time out of any swimmer in the B-final recording a 49.55. He suffered the same fate in the 400 freestyle, missing the final once again, in the B-final he recorded the second fastest time of the night, only eight one-hundredths of a second slower than gold medalist Liam Egan.

In tonight’s 800 freestyle Haas took a two second lead in the first 100 meters and never looked back from there winning the gold in a time of 8:00.99. Egan once again had a brilliantly paced swim negative splitting the race (4:02.55/4:01.51) finishing second in a time of 8:04.06. Egan was not the only one to negative split the race, bronze medalist Canadian Peter Brothers came took the first 400 out in a time of 4:03.10 and finished in a time of 4:01.35 posting a time of 8:04.45.

Australian Joshua Parrish finished fourth in a time of 8:08.16 followed by American Nick Norman (8:10.03), Canadian Tristan Cote (8:11.82), Atsuya Yoshida of Japan (8:12.88) and Jacob Hansford of Australia (8:18.59).

Women’s 4 x 100 medley relay

The American team comprised of Amy Bilquist, Lilly King, Hannah Kukurugya and Katie Drabot took gold in the women’s 4 x 100 medley relay in a new Junior Pan Pacific Championship and Junior World Record time of 4:03.44.

Splits:

• Bilquist – 1:01.52
• King – 1:08.03
• Kukurugya – 59.13
• Drabot 54.76

The Americans beat the junior world record of 4:04.48 set by the Russians at the 2013 Junior World Championships. Bilquist and Drabot were also part of the American 4 x 100 freestyle relay team that set a junior world record in Friday night’s final.

The American’s lead from start to finish, but were pushed by the Japanese women who finished in a time of 4:04.11.

The Canadian team grabbed the bronze posting a time of 4:08.57.

Australia finished fourth in a time of 4:09.86 followed by China (4:18.23), Mexico (4:24.85) and the Fiji Islands (4:58.32).

Men’s 4 x 100 medley relay

The American men took the event with relative ease. The team made up of Connor Green, Connor Hoppe, Alex Valente and Townley Haas won the relay in a time of 3:39.09.

Splits:

• Green – 55.63
• Hoppe – 1:01.07
• Valente – 52.70
• Haas 49.69

Japan collected the silver in a time of 3:42.78. Katshiro Matsumoto anchored the Japanese relay splitting a time of 49.30, over one and a half seconds faster than the 50.83 which he posted in the individual final.

It was Matsumoto who was responsible for his team overtaking the Canadians who finished third in a time of 3:43.12.

New Zealand finished fourth in a time of 3:43.75 followed by Australia (3:45.45), China (3:49.39), Mexico (3:53.82) and the Fiji Islands (4:30.14).