2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships – Japan sweeps top seeds in both 200 breaststrokes at day 4 prelims

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)

Girls 200 IM

Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey continues to be fast in prelims, earning the top seed in the girls 200 IM. Harvey was also the top seed out of prelims in the 400 IM, and wound up 4th at night.

It was a trio of Americans behind Harvey. Ella Eastin is the top U.S. swimmer at 2:15.05, and the 400 IM champ will look to double up and sweep the IMs in Maui. Kim Williams will join her in the A final after going 2:15.86, while Leah Stevens heads to the B final based on the meet’s two-per-country rule for A finals. Stevens went 2:16.41 this morning.

Japan’s top swimmer is Hiroko Makino, the fourth finalist at 2:16.52. Australia will be represented near the middle of the pool by Tianni Gilmous (2:17.34) with Japan’s second swimmer, Sachi Mochida, just behind in 2:18.04. Her teammate Natsumi Sakai slides back to the consol heat alongside the American Stevens. Sakai was 2:18.32, the third Japanese swimmer to finish.

Completely out of finals altogether are the fourth and fifth swimmers from Japan and the U.S.. Katie Drabot of the U.S. was 2:18.42 for 9th, and Japan’s Yura Taniguchi 2:18.93 for 10th. Their teammates Hannah Kukurugya (2:19.44) and Haruno Ito (2:19.77) both had scoring-level times, but will be bumped out as well.

Jumping into the A final are Australia’s Meg Bailey and Mexico’s Monika Gonzalez Hermosillo.

Probable A finalists:

1. Mary-Sophie Harvey, CAN, 2:14.71
2. Ella Eastin, USA, 2:15.05
3. Kim Williams, USA, 2:15.86
4. Hiroko Makino, JPN, 2:16.41
5. Tianni Gilmour, AUS, 2:17.34
6. Sachi Mochida, JPN, 2:18.04
7. Meg Bailey, AUS, 2:19.69
8. Monika Gonzalez Hermosillo, MEX, 2:19.83

Boys 200 IM

The boys 200 IM was just as tightly-packed for the Americans, with the top 4 spots going to the United States. Andrew Seliskar is the clear leader at 2:02.01. Seliskar is in pursuit of his third individual title of these championships after taking the 200 fly and 400 IM. He was well off his seed this morning, but if he can put up a lifetime-best tonight, he’ll have a great shot at the meet record of 1:59.51.

Second is incoming college freshman Curtis Ogren, who was 2:04.10 for the U.S. Behind him were fellow Californian Corey Okubo (2:04.45) and Sean Grieshop (2:04.68). Okubo leads the B final while Grieshop gets bumped from finals entirely.

New Zealand’s Bradlee Ashby is now the third seed at 2:05.74. Ashby has all of New Zealand’s medals so far, earning a pair of bronzes, and he’s in line for another tonight. He’ll have to hold off Japan’s Juran Mizohata, though, as Mizohata was 2:05.80.

Robert Hill of Canada leads a tight group in the low 2:06s. Hill (2:06.28) jumps into the A final with Australia’s Jake Baggaley (2:06.37), while American Michael Andrew (2:06.54) gets bumped as the fifth American.

Probable A finalists:

1. Andrew Seliskar, USA, 2:02.01
2. Curtis Ogren, USA, 2:04.10
3. Bradlee Ashby, NZL, 2:05.74
4. Juran Mizohata, JPN, 2:05.80
5. Robert Hill, CAN, 2:06.28
6. Jake Baggaley, AUS, 2:06.37
7. Zhou Wang, CHN, 2:07.48
8. Joachim Bardrum, AUS, 2:08.03

Girls 50 Free

It’s China’s Menghui Zhu who cut seven tenths off her seed time to rocket to the top of the girls 50 free. Menghui sits three tenths off the meet record and just two off the Junior World Record after going 25.08 this morning, and she immediately becomes China’s best chance of adding to its single bronze medal so far at these championships.

Australia’s Lucy McJannett is second at 25.28, just two hundredths up on Amy Bilquist of the U.S.

Top pre-meet seed Shayna Jack fell back to 4th in 25.53, but she’s still got to be considered a major factor tonight with a lifetime-best faster than any swimmer swam this morning.

Japan is represented by Rikako Ikee (25.66) before we start getting to some triples. Australia’s Chelsea Gillett has had a great meet so far, but she slides to the B final at 25.95, in a tie wiht American Stanzi Moseley. Moseley gets to stay in the A final as the second American, but her teammate Katrina Konopka gets bumped, despite finishing just .02 behind (25.97).

Probable A finalists:

1. Menghui Zhu, CHN, 25.08
2. Lucy McJannett, AUS, 25.30
3. Amy Bilquist, USA, 25.30
4. Shayna Jack, AUS, 25.53
5. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 25.66
6. Stanzi Moseley, USA, 25.95
7. Yao Zheng, CHN, 26.18
8. Heather Lam, CAN, 26.55

Boys 50 Free

The boys splash and dash is setting up to be a showdown between Australia and the U.S., though things aren’t too close for gold right now. American Paul Powers rolled to a 22.24 this morning, two tenths faster than he was seeded, and is the clear-cut favorite for tonight. That smashes the meet record and, though he’s just too old to be eligible, is two tenths off the Junior World Record set just last week in Nanjing by China’s Yu Hexin.Powers is followed by Aussie Vincent Dai, who had a nice drop himself to go 22.72.

Each team has a Jones following their top entrant. The U.S. gets James Jones, who was 22.85, while Australia’s Blake Jones was 22.87.

Canada’s Cameron Kidd also snuck under 23 seconds with a 22.91 this morning.

From there we start into triples for the Australians and Americans. Brayden McCarthy went 23.05 for the Aussies and will head the B heat, while Townley Haas will swim alongside him after going 23.13. Haas has missed his fair share of A finals at this meet so far, but in this race, far from his best distance, it’s actually pretty impressive that he could earn himself another swim. His teammates Michael Andrew (23.28) and Blake Pieroni (23.42) weren’t far behind.

Canada’s Markus Thormeyer gets himself another finals appearance with a 23.20. Australia had the next two finishers, both of whom will miss the final: Benno Negri (23.44) and Damian Fyfe (23.69).

Probable A finalists:

1. Paul Powers, USA, 22.24
2. Vincent Dai, AUS, 22.72
3. Jams Jones, USA, 22.85
4. Blake Jones, AUS, 22.87
5. Cameron Kidd, CAN, 22.91
6. Markus Thormeyer, CAN, 23.20
7. Katsuhiro Matsumoto, JPN, 23.66
8. Lorenzo Loria Elias, MEX, 23.86

Girls 200 Breast

One of the youngest swimmers in the meet, Japan’s Runa Imai is in line for a gold medal in the girls 200 breast. The top seed coming into the meet, Imai went 2:26.52 to lead all A finalists into tonight’s session. That’s nearly two seconds faster than the next-fastest swimmer, and is eight tenths off the meet record set by Canada’s Kierra Smith.

Japan holds a 1-2 here, with Manami Chida (2:28.33) second, and it’ll take a lot for anyone to catch them. The third qualifier was Sae Saito, also of Japan, and she’s into the B final at 2:30.05. So almost three seconds from silver and over four from gold is Lilly King, the top American and winner of the 100 breast earlier in the week. The hope for the U.S. is that King can repeat her drop from prelims to finals in that race, though it was only a half-second in the 100.

Emily Kopas is the fourth finalist, going 2:31.79 for the U.S. She’s followed by Canada’s Kelsey Wog (2:32.30). Leah Stevens is the third U.S. swimmer at 2:33.92, and she heads to the B final, leaving Canada’s Genevieve Robertson just behind her teammate Wog in 2:33.97.

Probable A finalists:

1. Runa Imai, JPN, 2:26.52
2. Manami Chida, JPN, 2:28.33
3. Lilly King, USA, 2:31.14
4. Emily Kopas, USA, 2:31.79
5. Kelsey Wog, CAN, 2:32.30
6. Genevieve Robertson, CAN, 2:33.97
7. Maria Jimenez Peon, MEX, 2:37.83
8. Abbey Harkin, AUS, 2:39.70

Boys 200 Breast

Building on that 1-2-3 in the girls 200 breast, the Japanese boys equaled it, sweeping the top three spots in their event. Rintao Okubo leads the way at 2:14.47, with Ryuya Mura just behind in 2:15.11. Yuya Hinomoto was 2:15.58 and will head to the B final as the Japanese squad tries to sweep all four breaststroke heats in tonight’s final.

New Zealand’s George Schroder is the fastest challenger, going 2:15.64 this morning, more than a second under his seed time. Australia’s Matthew Wilson (2:15.88) joins him in the A final along with Canadians James Guest (2:16.28) and James Dergousoff (2:16.82).

A whole bunch of countries will be represented in tonight’s A final. China gets in with Yunsong Liu‘s 2:17.39, and the Americans just barely sneak out a finals appearance, with Alex Evdokimov moving up from a 9th place finish to get the 8th seed (after Hinomoto moves to the B for Japan) in 2:17.70.

Probable A finalists:

1. Rintaro Okubo, JPN, 2:14.47
2. Ryuya Mura, JPN, 2:15.11
3. George Schroder, NZL, 2:15.64
4. Matthew Wilson, AUS, 2:15.88
5. James Guest, CAN, 2:16.28
6. James Dergousoff, CAN, 2:16.82
7. Yunsong Liu, CHN, 2:17.39
8. Alex Evdokimov, USA, 2:17.70