2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2018 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 9 – Tuesday, August 14, 2018
• Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center, Tokyo, Japan
• Meet site
• Psych Sheet
• Start Lists
• Meet Results

The opening session of the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships will feature preliminary heats in the men’s and women’s 100 breast, 200 free and 400 IM, along with early heats in the women’s 800 and the men’s 1500 freestyle.

There have been many significant scratches from prelims, including Leah Smith, Ella Eastin and Sydney Pickrem in the women’s 400 IM, Ariarne Titmus and Emma McKeon in the women’s 200 freestyle (which were rumoured), and Caeleb Dressel not surprisingly out of the men’s 100 breast. Dressel does remain on the start lists for the 200 freestyle.

Women’s 100 Breast Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 1:04.93, Rebecca Soni (USA), 2010

1. Lilly King, USA, 1:05.76
2. Reona Aoki, JPN, 1:06.36
3. Micah Sumrall, USA, 1:06.44
4. Jessica Hansen, AUS, 1:06.63
5. Katie Meili*, USA, 1:06.64
6. Bethany Galat*, USA / Suzuki Satomi, JPN, 1:06.67
7. –
8. Kanako Watanabe*, JPN, 1:07.97
9. Macarena Ceballos, ARG, 1:08.01
10. Julia Sebastian, ARG, 1:08.06
11. Kelsey Wog, CAN, 1:08.13

Lilly King posted the top time of the morning in the women’s 100 breast in 1:05.76, followed by Reona Aoki of Japan and teammate Micah Sumrall. Katie Meili was 5th overall, and Bethany Galat tied for 6th, but they’ll be relegated to the B-final by way of the two per country in the A-final rule.

The rule opens the door for Argentines Macarena Ceballos and Julia Sebastian, along with Canadian Kelsey Wog, to get in the A-final.

Men’s 100 Breast Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 59.04, Kosuke Kitajima (JPN), 2010

1. Andrew Wilson, USA, 59.42
2. Wang Lizhuo, CHN, 59.50
3. Michael Andrew, USA, 59.55
4. Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 59.67
5. Joao Gomes, BRA, 59.74
6. Jake Packard, AUS, 59.81
7. Matthew Wilson, AUS, 59.90
8. Josh Prenot*, USA, 1:00.22
9. Zach Stubblety-Cook*, AUS, 1:00.32
10. Richard Funk, CAN, 1:00.33

Andrew Wilson topped a quick men’s 100 breast prelim where seven men broke a minute. Wilson was a solid 59.42, while China’s Wang Lizhuo surprisingly grabbed the 2nd seed in 59.50. Michael Andrew got himself in the A-final with a 3rd ranked 59.55, and Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki heads into the night session in 4th.

Josh Prenot of the U.S. was 8th overall, but will swim the B-final. 10th overall Richard Funk gets into the ‘A’.

Women’s 200 Free Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 1:55.74, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2014

1. Katie Ledecky, USA, 1:55.16
2. Allison Schmitt, USA, 1:56.36
3. Leah Smith, USA, 1:56.81
4. Taylor Ruck, CAN, 1:56.84
5. Katie McLaughlin, USA, 1:56.88
6. Kayla Sanchez, CAN, 1:57.39
7. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 1:57.43
8. Mallory Comerford, USA, 1:57.48
9. Gabby DeLoof, USA, 1:57.86
10. Mikkayla Sheridan, AUS, 1:58.05
11. Katie Drabot, USA, 1:58.09
12. Rebecca Smith, CAN, 1:58.48
13. Chihiro Igarashi, JPN, 1:58.51
14. Madeline Groves, AUS, 1:58.80

Katie Ledecky stormed her way to a new meet record in the heats of the women’s 200 free, posting a time of 1:55.16. She breaks her record from 2014 of 1:55.74.

Allison Schmitt did what was necessary to get into the A-final with the 2nd fastest time in 1:56.36, eding out Leah Smith (1:56.81) who will be bumped to the B-final. She’ll be joined there by Katie McLaughlin who had a good swim for 5th overall in 1:56.88.

Taylor Ruck will head into the A-final 3rd overall in 1:56.84. Ruck sits 2nd to Ledecky in the world rankings this year.

Men’s 200 Free Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 1:44.75, Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2002

1. Andrew Seliskar, USA, 1:45.81
2. Townley Haas, USA, 1:46.19
3. Alexander Graham, AUS, 1:46.35
4. Jack Cartwright, AUS, 1:46.38
5. Matsumoto Katsuhiro, JPN, 1:46.42
6. Clyde Lewis, AUS, 1:46.54
7. Zach Apple, USA / Blake Pieroni, USA, 1:46.56
8. –
9. Kyle Chalmers, AUS, 1:46.62
10. Fernando Scheffer, BRA, 1:46.63
11. Mack Horton, AUS, 1:46.66
12. Conor Dwyer, USA, 1:46.84
13. Jack Conger, USA, 1:46.85
14. Luiz Altamir Melo, BRA, 1:47.19
15. Elijah Winnington, AUS, 1:47.47
16. Naito Ehara, JPN, 1:47.67

Andrew Seliskar backed up his performance at Nationals with a monster 1:45.81 in the prelims, and Townley Haas wasn’t far back in 1:46.19 as they ensure their spots in the A-final. Seliskar has now done three consecutive 1:45s dating back to Nationals with his best time before that being a 1:48.35.

Alexander Graham (1:46.35) and Jack Cartwright (1:46.38) surprisingly knocked Kyle Chalmers (1:46.62) and Mack Horton (1:46.66) out of the A-final, and notable Americans out include Blake Pieroni and Caeleb Dressel. Pieroni and Zach Apple tied for 7th overall and will swim the B-final. Dressel faded hard and ended up 18th overall in 1:47.89.

Women’s 400 IM Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 4:31.99, Elizabeth Beisel (USA), 2014

1. Yui Ohashi, JPN, 4:36.05
2. Melanie Margalis, USA, 4:39.09
3. Sakiko Shimizu, JPN, 4:39.76
4. Emily Overholt, CAN, 4:40.63
5. Brooke Forde, USA, 4:40.76
6. Ally McHugh, USA, 4:41.08
7. Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson, CAN, 4:44.64
8. Ye Huiyan, CHN, 4:57.65
9. Chloe Isleta, PHI, 4:59.21

Yui Ohashi of Japan, the 2017 World Championship silver medalist in this event, led the women’s 400 IM heats by over three seconds in 4:36.05.

Melanie Margalis was the top American in 2nd in 4:39.09, and Brooke Forde (4:40.76) edged National Champ Ally McHugh (4:41.08) for the 2nd U.S. spot in the A-final.

Sakiko Shimizu (JPN) and Emily Overholt (CAN) also had solid swims for 3rd and 4th overall and will be in the fight for medals.

Men’s 400 IM Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 4:07.59, Ryan Lochte (USA), 2010

1. Chase Kalisz, USA, 4:10.97
2. Daiya Seto, JPN, 4:12.49
3. Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 4:12.65
4. Jay Litherland, USA, 4:13.00
5. Sean Grieshop, USA, 4:14.27
6. Brandonn Almeida, BRA, 4:15.71
7. Lewis Clareburt, NZL, 4:17.93
8. Hiromasa Fujimori, JPN, 4:20.01
9. Leonardo Santos, BRA / Tristan Cote, CAN, 4:21.60

Chase Kalisz cruised to the top seed in the men’s 400 IM prelims in 4:10.97, just two seconds off his season-best 4:08.90 which leads the world rankings. Daiya Seto of Japan was 2nd to Kalisz in the final heat in 4:12.49, and qualifies 2nd overall for the final.

Kosuke Hagino and Jay Litherland went 1-2 in the other heat, and it looks like the battle for medals will come down to the two Americans two Japanese men.

Women’s 800 Free Timed Final (Early Heats)

• Pan Pac Record: 8:11.35, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2014

1. Erica Sullivan, USA, 8:26.27
2. Haley Anderson, USA, 8:27.13
3. Madeleine Gough, AUS, 8:27.28
4. Ashley Twichell, USA, 8:29.36
5. Chase Travis, USA, 8:37.86
6. Kate Sanderson, CAN, 8:43.99
7. Nicole Justine Marie Oliva, PHI, 8:53.21
8. Ana Rosalee Mira Santa, PHI, 9:12.04

Through the early heats of the women’s 800, Erica Sullivan of the U.S. leads the pack with a time of 8:26.27, just ahead of teammate Haley Anderson (8:27.13) and Australian Madeleine Gough (8:27.28). Ashley Twichell, who won the U.S. National title in the 1500, sits 4th.

That swim for Sullivan is a new personal best, lowering her 8:26.98 from Nationals where she placed 5th.

Men’s 1500 Free Timed Final (Early Heats)

• Pan Pac Record: 14:41.65, Grant Hackett (AUS), 2002

1. Zane Grothe, USA, 14:48.40
2. Michael Brinegar, USA, 15:07.04
3. Kohei Yamamoto, JPN, 15:18.71
4. David Heron, USA, 15:22.98
5. Taylor Abbott, USA, 15:33.64
6. Noel Edesomel Keane, POLW, 17:59.30
7. Mark Imazu, GUM, 19:35.60

Zane Grothe was out on his own as he destroyed his previous best by 17 seconds to win heat 1 of the men’s mile in 14:48.40, and now sits 1st among Americans for the year. Jordan Wilimovsky won U.S. Nationals in 14:48.89, and now it’s up to Robert Finke to take out Grothe’s time if he wants to land a spot on the World’s team. Finke could also do so by getting under Wilimovsky’s 14:48.89 and beating him head-to-head.

Grothe was joined in the heat by three of the U.S. open water swimmers, and it was Michael Brinegar who posted the 2nd best time in 15:07.04, with Japan’s Kohei Yamamoto 3rd in 15:18.71.