2014 Pan Pacific Championships – Grevers blows away meet, all-comers records at day 1 prelims

2014 Pan Pacific Championships

• Gold Coast, Australia
• Thursday, August 21-Sunday, August 24
• Meet website
• Psych sheets
• Live results

Women’s 200 free

Meet record: 1:56.10, Allison Schmitt (USA), 2010
American record: 1:53.61, Allison Schmitt
Australian record: 1:55.68, Emma McKeon
Canadian record: 1:56.97, Genevieve Saumur
Japanese record: 1:57.37, Haruka Ueda
Australia All-comers record: 1:55.52, Laure Manaudou (FRA)

She’s the unquestioned world’s best in the distance races, but 17-year-old American Katie Ledecky continues to impress even in the 200-meter distance. She took the top seed out of prelims, winning the fourth heat with a 1:56.45. Ledecky’s still got plenty in the tank, having gone almost a second and a half faster two weeks ago at U.S. Nationals.

Australia’s Melanie Schlanger cut a tenth off her seed and is the surprise #2 seed, passing up some of her own teammates and few rival swimmers to grab lane 5 in 1:57.16. Though Schlanger was great on Australia’s world record-setting 400 free relay, she was actually left off the country’s 800 free relay in Glasgow. We’re betting that won’t be the case here at Pan Pacs.

Things really tightened up from there. Shannon Vreeland is 1:57.40 for the third seed, followed closely by teammate Missy Franklin (1:57.63) and Australia’s Bronte Barratt (1:57.65).

The entire top 10 was made up of Americans and Australians, but per Pan Pacs rules, only two swimmers per country are allowed into the A final. It’ll be Ledecky and Vreeland for the Americans (barring any coaching decisions to scratch one of the two), leaving Franklin out. Coming off of a much-publicized bout with back spasms just yesterday, Franklin had to have been affected at least a little in this race, and it’s highly unlikely she’ll take the U.S.’s B final spot. Her status in the 100 back later in this session is uncertain as well, but it might be best for Franklin not to have to worry about a double in finals.

Australia will be represented by Schlanger and Barrat, leaving Emma McKeon out, perhaps to the B final. McKeon took 6th in 1:57.87, and American Leah Smith was 1:58.20 for 7th.

Also jumping into the final with the two Americans and Australians: Canada’s Sam Cheverton (11th, 1:58.80), China’s Sishi Zhang (12th, 1:59.45), and Japan’s Chihiro Igarashi (14th, 1:59.96) and Yasuko Miyamoto (15th, 2:00.17).

Probable A-finalists:

1. Katie Ledecky, USA – 1:56.45
2. Melanie Schlanger, AUS – 1:57.16
3. Shannon Vreeland, USA – 1:57.40
4. Bronte Barrat, AUS – 1:57.65
5. Sam Cheverton, CAN – 1:58.80
6. Sishi Zhang, CHN – 1:59.45
7. Chihiro Igarashi, JPN – 1:59.96
8. Yasuko Miyamoto, JPN – 2:00.17

Men’s 200 free

Meet record: 1:44.75, Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2002
American record: 1:42.96, Michael Phelps
Australian record: 1:44.06, Ian Thorpe
Canadian record: 1:46.40, Brent Hayden
Japanese record:1:45.24, Sho Uchida
Australia All-comers record: 1:43.86, Michael Phelps (USA)

Japan’s Kosuke Hagino grabbed top billing in the men’s event, beating out American Conor Dwyer in his heat with a 1:46.60. Dwyer was close behind at 1:46.65, and the two will go into the final as the men to beat. That’s a big swim for Dwyer, who was a little off at U.S. Nationals, but really kicked it into gear on the Gold Coast.

Australia’s Thomas Fraser-Holmes is the third seed, going 1:46.95. He’ll be just ahead of 20-year-old teammate Cameron McEvoy (1:47.08). Meanwhile Dwyer’s American teammate (and former Florida training partner) Ryan Lochte took 5th, going 1:47.35.

Here’s where the triples start. David McKeon went 1:47.45 for Australia, but will be left out of the A final because he’s the third finisher from his coutnry. Reo Sakata makes the final as Japan’s #2 after going 1:47.74, but American Matt McLean will be relegated to the B final with McKeon. McLean was 1:47.91 in a three-way tie for 8th place.

He’s tied with Japan’s Yuri Kobori (sent to the B heat) and Brazil’s Nicolas Oliveira for that spot. Oliveira is the 7th man into the final, with New Zealand’s Matt Stanley joining him after finishing 12th, just ahead of U.S. youngster Reed Malone.

Probable A-Finalists:

1. Kosuke Hagino, JPN – 1:46.60
2. Conor Dwyer, USA – 1:46.65
3. Thomas Fraser-Holmes, AUS – 1:46.95
4. Cameron McEvoy, AUS – 1:47.08
5. Ryan Lochte, USA – 1:47.35
6. Reo Sakata, JPN – 1:47.74
7. Nicolas Oliveira, BRA – 1:47.91
8. Matthew Stanley, NZ – 1:48.74

Women’s 100 back

Meet record: 59.34, Emily Seebohm (AUS), 2010
American record: 58.33, Missy Franklin
Australian record: 58.23, Emily Seebohm
Canadian record: 59.68, Sinead Russell
Japanese record: 58.70, Aya Terakawa
Australia All-comers record: 58.92, Emily Seebohm (AUS)

It was a relatively slow morning in the 100 back, with just one woman under a minute and only three under 1:01. The Australians sit 1-2, perhaps justifying our own Braden Keith’s prediction of a potential upset in the 200 later on. It’s Emily Seebohm leading the way at 59.72. She’s got to be considered a co-favorite with American Missy Franklin, and Seebohm looks to be the frontrunner at this point especially swimming at home. Belinda Hocking was 1:00.46 to take the second seed, and we’ll see both Aussies in the middle of the pool in tonight’s final.

The Americans came next, with Franklin going 1:00.60, back spasms and all, to take third. She’ll certainly be more rested tonight as she’s expected to scratch the 200 free, so mark this one down as a great race to look forward to.

Her teammates Elizabeth Pelton (1:01.05) and Kathleen Baker (1:01.09) followed, and Pelton will join Franklin in the A final while Baker heads to the B.

Canada’s Dominique Bouchard joins the party, going 1:01.10 to sit just .01 back of Baker, although she’ll make the final as her country’s top finisher. American Rachel Bootsma was next (1:01.27) but won’t swim tonight. Meanwhile Hilary Caldwell takes Canada’s second finals slot, finishing 8th in 1:01.34.

Canadian Brooklynn Snodgrass is another left on the outside, but should make the B final tonight an exciting affair, provided she, Baker and Bootsma all swim it. Also joining the A final are a pair of Japanese swimmers, Miyuki Takamura and 19-year-old Sayaka Akase.

Probable A-Finalists:

1. Emily Seebohm, AUS – 59.72
2. Belinda Hocking, AUS – 1:00.46
3. Missy Franklin, USA – 1:00.60
4. Elizabeth Pelton, USA – 1:01.05
5. Dominique Bouchard, CAN – 1:01.10
6. Hilary Caldwell, CAN – 1:01.34
7. Miyuki Takamura, JPN – 1:01.54
8. Sayaka Akase, JPN – 1:01.72

Men’s 100 back

Meet record: 53.31, Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2010
American record: 51.94, Aaron Peirsol
Australian record: 52.97, Hayden Stoeckel
Canadian record: 53.63, Pascal Wollach
Japanese record: 52.24, Ryosuke Irie
Australia All-comers record: 52.98, Aaron Peirsol (USA)

American Matt Grevers has won this event at the last Olympics and the most recent World Championships, and he kept right on rolling in the preliminaries. Grevers went 52.91 to blow away the meet and All-comers records – fantasy swimming enthusiasts take note! (All-Comers is similar to US Open records – it marks the fastest swim done on Australian soil by a swimmer of any nationality).

The U.S is incredibly strong in this event, and it was the youngster Ryan Murphy who pulled through with the second seed. Murphy went 53.24 to steal lane 5 for tonight. The Americans went 1-2 at the London Olympics with Grevers and Nick Thoman, and at last summer’s Worlds with Grevers and David Plummer. Now it might be Murphy’s turn to round out the gold-silver sweep.

Japan’s Ryosuke Irie is their top threat. He went 53.29 for the third seed this morning, well off his season-best of 52.57. Australian Mitchell Larkin is fourth, going 53.49 in prelims.

American David Plummer will be the first man left out of the A final, though he’ll likely get a second swim in the B heat. Plummer was 53.82, the last man under 54 this morning.

Junya Koga finished 6th for Japan and will be the 5-seed into the final. His 54.30 just nipped Australian Ben Treffers by .04. Treffers just beat out his teammate Josh Beaver for the second A final spot. Beaver was 54.40, .06 back of Treffers.

Also into the A final: Brazil’s Thiago Pereira (9th, 54.43) and Guilhermo Guido (11th, 54.50). Just between them was American Nick Thoman in 54.44, and fellow USA representative Jacob Pebley was 54.57 for 12th.

Probable A-Finalists:

1. Matt Grevers, USA – 52.91
2. Ryan Murphy, USA – 53.24
3. Ryosuke Irie, USA – 53.29
4. Mitchell Larkin, AUS – 53.49
5. Junya Koga, JPN – 54.30
6. Ben Treffers, AUS – 54.34
7. Thiago Pereira, BRA – 54.43
8. Guilhermo Guido, BRA – 54.50

Women’s 800 free (first two heats)

Meet record: 8:16.22, Janet Evans (USA), 1989
American record: 8:11.00, Katie Ledecky
Australian record: 8:19.76, Jessica Ashwood
Canadian record: 8:20.91, Brittany MacLean
Japanese record: 8:23.68, Sachiko Yamada
Australia All-comers record: 8:18.52, Kate Zeigler (USA)

The distance events are swum as timed finals, with the slower heats swimming in the morning and the fastest heat at night.

The leaders, with the fastest heat yet to go, are three Americans. 16-year-old Becca Mann sits first right now, blasting to a lifetime-best 8:22.45 to win the second heat. About eight seconds behind her is open water star Haley Anderson at 8:30.87. Virginia Cavaliers sophomore Leah Smith sits third at 8:32.38, though with the two-per-country rule, she’s not allowed to officially score. The Americans will still have Katie Ledecky and Cierra Runge to swim at night.

Australia’s Kareena Lee is fourth at 8:39.47 before things drop off to Canada’s Tabitha Baumann at 8:46.75. New Zealand’s Emma Robinson is the last swimmer under 9 minutes, going 8:49.80.

Women’s 200 fly

Meet record: 2:05.40, Jessica Schipper (AUS), 2006
American record: 2:04.14, Mary DeScenza
Australian record: 2:03.41, Jessica Schipper
Canadian record: 2:05.95, Audrey Lacroix
Japanese record: 2:04.69, Natsumi Hoshi
Australia All-comers record: 2:05.81, Susan O’Neill (AUS)

Katie McLaughlin became the second 17-year-old Katie to take a top seed on day 1, going 2:08.02 to lead the women’s 200 fly. McLaughlin, out of California, cut seven tenths off her seed and leads a trio of American women sweeping the top three spots.

Just behind her is Cammile Adams at 2:08.22 and just a tenth back is another college star, Hali Flickinger (2:08.33). McLaughlin and Adams will swim the A final tonight with Flickinger heading the B.

Canada’s national record-holder Audrey Lacroix went 2:08.82 and will take the third seed in the final. Just behind her were a trio of Japanese entrants, including their national record-holder Natsumi Hoshi. Hoshi was 2:09.11 for 5th place, with Miyu Nakano and Sakiko Shimizu in the next two slots at 2:09.21 and 2:09.66, respectively. Nakano is into the A final and Shimizu the B.

Venezuela’s Andreina Pinto becomes her country’s first championship finalist of the 2014 meet.

American Maya DiRado is 9th. Also into the final are Canada’s Katerine Savard (10th, 2:11.77) and Australia’s Madeline Groves (12th, 2:13.24). Between them was American Caitlin Leverenz at 2:11.83.

Probable A-Finalists:

1. Katie McLaughlin, USA – 2:08.02
2. Cammile Adams, USA – 2:08.22
3. Audrey Lacroix, CAN – 2:08.82
4. Natsumi Hoshi, JPN – 2:09.11
5. Miyu Nakano, JPN – 2:09.21
6. Andreina Pinto, VEN – 2:10.17
7. Katerine Savard, CAN – 2:11.77
8. Madeline Groves, AUS – 2:13.24

Men’s 200 fly

Meet record: 1:53.80, Michael Phelps (USA), 2006
American record: 1:51.51, Michael Phelps
Australian record: 1:54.46, Nick D’Arcy
Canadian record: 1:57.01, Stefan Hirniak
Japanese record: 1:52.97, Takeshi Matsuda
Australia All-comers record: 1:52.09, Michael Phelps (USA)

Daiya Seto was the top seed coming in, and he’ll be the top seed leaving prelims as well. The 20-year-old Japanese sensation went 1:55.29 to just beat out Brazil’s Leonardo de Deus for the inside lane.

De Deus had himself a great swim, going 1:55.33 to sit just hundredths behind Seto. Two tenths back is the other Japanse finalist Masato Sakai, who went 1:55.52 and will settle into lane 3 next to Seto tonight.

Tyler Clary is the top American, going 1:55.92 with the field’s best final 50. Clary will have to be out a little faster to compete for a medal, but he clearly has the grit coming home to be a challenger. The Americans will need it, as the national champion Tom Shields was disqualified in the preliminaries and won’t swim in finals. We haven’t heard what infraction Shields was called for, but it’s a tough break for a guy who really crashed onto the world scene with his big double wins at Nationals two weeks ago. He finished here in 1:57.62, which would have put him into the A final as the 5th seed.

(Update: Shields was apparently disqualified for a one-handed touch on the second turn, at the 100-meter mark).

Japan put four into the top 8, though two will be bumped out. Kenta Hirai (1:56.42) slides to the B final while Takeshi Matsuda, the national record-holder, is out of the finals tonight after finishing just 6th overall in 1:57.02.

Chase Kalisz went 1:58.25 to take 7th in the morning. That’s almost two seconds off his seed time. Canada will be represented in the final by Mack Darragh (1:58.63), while South Africa’s Michael Meyer was 1:59.74 to grab a finals spot for his country.

With just 14 men entered and the Shields DQ, this field won’t even fill the B final. That makes for an interesting A final as well, as there’s a big dropoff to the 8th seed – Canada’s Gamal Assaad at 2:03.12.

Probable A-Finalists:

1. Daiya Seto, JPN – 1:55.29
2. Leonardo de Deus, BRA – 1:55.33
3. Masato Sakai, JPN – 1:55.52
4. Tyler Clary, USA – 1:55.92
5. Chase Kalisz, USA – 1:58.25
6. Mack Darragh, CAN – 1:58.63
7. Michael Meyer, RSA – 1:58.63
8. Gamal Assaad, CAN – 2:03.12

Men’s 1500 free (first heat)

Meet record: 14:41.65, Grant Hackett (AUS), 2002
American record: 14:45.29, Larsen Jensen
Australian record: 14:34.56, Grant Hackett
Canadian record: 14:39.63, Ryan Cochrane
Japanese record: 14:54.80, Kohei Yamamoto
Australia All-comers record: 14:44.94, Grant Hackett (AUS)

The men’s 1500 is run the same way as the women’s 800, with one early heat and the top 8 swimmers competing in finals. American Jordan Wilimovsky is the top qualifier with one heat to go, going 15:01.43 to win the opening heat. He’s followed by two teammates – Sean Ryan (15:03.82) and Andrew Gemmell (15:11.82). The U.S. will have its top two competitors in the A final with Connor Jaeger and Michael McBroom.

There were three more swimmers in that opening heat. Australia’s Jarrod Poort was 15:23.39, Japan’s Shogo Takeda 15:25.40 and Canada’s Eric Hedlin 15:32.81.