2024 Junior Pan Pacs: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2024 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 21-24, 2024
• Canberra, Australia
• LCM (50 meters)
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• All Days Prelims Heat Sheet
• Prelims Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2
• Finals Recaps: Day 1  | Day 2

How ya going?

Welcome to our coverage of the Day 3 Prelims of the 2024 Junior Pan Pacs. Perhaps a little startling is the fact that we are exactly halfway through the meet, as it is contested in a condensed four-day format. However, that means each and every session is jam-packed with excitement, and this morning (or evening or whatever time of day you are reading this) is no exception as we take on a diverse range of events.

DAY 3 PRELIMS SCHEDULE

• Girl’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims
• Boy’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims
• Girl’s 100 Butterfly– Prelims
• Boy’s 100 Butterfly– Prelims
• Girl’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims
• Boy’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

Junior Pan Pacs is run a little differently than how the Olympics recently were held. In Paris, each nation was limited to two individual entrants, but this meeting allowed for more than two. However, only two from each nation can move on to the A-Final and two into the B-Final, meaning one could be the 5th fastest swimmer in prelims but miss out on a second swim, should the four in front of you be your compatriots. What this means is that competition for the Finals (there are no semifinals) will be very intense in the prelims, especially as there are only two circle-seeded heats.

We start with the Women’s 400 Free, which is a highly entertaining event, not only for the competitiveness of the field but its implications for the future. This event is an eerily similar microcosm of the 400 free in the Olympics, where the top seeds are American, Australian, and Canadian. The USA’s Madi Mintenko leads the field with her entry time of 4:07.53, but teammate Kayla Han is close behind at 4:08.21. Australia’s Amelia Weber also is entered under 4:10 as her 4:09.20 seed times rank her third. While Summer McIntosh would be young enough, should she have been eligible to compete, Canada still has a leg in this race, as  Julia Strojnowska is the 4th seed.

Just .30 separates the top two entrants in the 400. Winner of the 400 IM last night, Asaki Nishikawa of Japan will look to remain the top seed into the final but will have to end off Day 1’s 200 free winner and American Luka Mijatovic. The two will first have to make the A-Final as each faces stiff competition from their own teammates. The USA Luke Ellis is just .08 behind Mijatovic but ranks just 3rd amongst Americans as Norvin Clontz sits .01 ahead. Clontz, in particular, will be looking to swim fast in the morning as he placed third in yesterday’s 400 IM prelims and missed the A-Final.

The intracountry competition ramps up even further in the women’s 100 fly as the USA holds the top three seeds and four of the top five. Leah Shackley, winner of the 100 back is the top seed and only entrant under 58 (57.98), but youngsters Charlotte Crush (16) and Audrey Derivaux (15) are both with a second.  Korea’s Kim Doyeon is the 4th seed with an entry time of 59.06, and while she is her nation’s only entrant, she must still put up a strong performance so as to place within the top 8.

The men’s 100 fly is eerily similar with the USA holding three of the four top spots and a Korean holding the other. However, it’s Kim Yeoungbeom who holds the middle lane in the last heat as the Korean, who won the 100 free last night, is the top entrant with his 52.47. The USA’s Rowan Cox also joins Kim under 53, with an entry time of 52.80, and will look to hold off compatriots August Vetsch (53.12) and Campbell McKean (53.54)

The depth of the USA 200 back cadre at the senior level is well known, and it extends to the junior level as well. The top five entrants are all from the USA, meaning that at least one of them will miss both the A and B finals. Teagan O’Dell leads the pack with her 2:07.97 but is followed by Shackely (2:08.42), who will be pulling a tough double with the 100 fly. Also doing the same is Derivaux, who is the 4th seed in the backstroke (2:09.61), and Crush, who ranks 5th (2:09.71). Last night’s winner in the 400 IM, Lilla Bognar, is just ahead of the two in 3rd position with her entry time of 2:09.51. Canada’s Delia Lloyd is the first non-American on the list, entering as the 6th seed in 2:11.74.

The session ends with men’s 200 Back, where Canadian Aiden Norman holds down the top spot with his 1:57.75 entry time. Norman is a full second clear of the next fastest competitor, teammate Ethan Ekk, who is entered in 1:58.92. With only one other entrant under 2:00 and with just 19 entrants in the event, the pressure may be a little off for the USA’s Gavin Keogh (1:59.19), who is just one of two Americans in the event, with the other being the 10th seeded Sam Lorenz (2:04.80).

GIRLS 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 3:56.08– Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
• Meet Record: 4:05.07 – Erin Gemmell, USA (2022)
• All Comers Record: 3:56.40 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2022)

Top 8: 

1. Kennedi Dobson (USA) – 4:10.79
2. Madi Mintenko (USA) – 4:11.01
3. Ella Cosgrove (CAN) – 4:16.82
4. Julia Strojnowska (CAN) – 4:16.90
5. Misa Okuzono (JPN) – 4:18.77
6. Haruka Taka (JPN) – 4:19.94
7. Kim Bomin (KOR) – 4:20.32
8. Amelia Weber (AUS) – 4:21.94

Heat 2 saw Canada’s Julia Strojnowska in the lead at the 200-meter mark, just .05 ahead of American Kayla Han. 2:07.41 to 2:07.46, with the 200 free winner, Inez Miller of Australia, not too far behind. Han turned on the jets at that point to open up a body length lead at the 250 mark, and by the 300, she led by two seconds ahead of Stronjowska and fast-charging Ella Cosgrove, who had moved up into third. Breathing every stroke to the right, Han kept up the pace in the last 100 and won handily in 4:12.64, actually negatively splitting the race. Cosgrove surged hard to pass Strojnowska by .08, 4:16.82 to 4:16.90.

The third of three heats started much faster, as the American pair of Madi Mintenko and Kennedi Dobson pushed each other, as both needed to be under Han’s 4:12.64 to make the A-final. At the 200-meter mark, Mintenko led with a split of 2:05.02, but Dobson was right on her heels with a 2:05.15, and the Australian Amelia Weber was also under 2:06, splitting 2:05.77.

Both of the Americans kept up the pressure and separated themselves from Weber by over five seconds at the 300 turn. With just a 50 left, Dobson was in the lead, flipping at 3:40.12 to Mintenko’s 3:40.68, but Mintenko closed the gap, and the pair finished in a tight race with Dobson recording a new best-of 4:10.79 and Mintenko taking second in a 4:11.01. Weber was with the Americans at the 200 but slowed considerably, finishing 6th in the heat in a time of 4:21.94

BOYS 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 3:44.31– Petar Mitsin, BUL (2023)
• Meet Record: 3:48.36– Joshua Staples, AUS (2022)
• All Comers Record: 3:40.54– Ian Thorpe, AUS (2002)

Top 8:

1. Aiden Hammer (USA) – 3:51.65
2. Kazushi Imafuku (JPN) – 3:52.18
3. Asaki Nishikawa (JPN) – 3:52.36
4. Luka Mijatovic (USA) – 3:52.40
5. Tex Cross (AUS) – 3:55.03
6. Lucas Fackerell (AUS) – 3:56.70
7. Simon Fonseca Florez (CAN) – 3:57.00
8. Ignacio Stambuk (ARG) – 3:58.63

While not particularly fast, Heat 1 went to Japan’s Shin Ohashi in 4:05.04, a notable achievement considering he won the 100 breaststroke last night in 1:01.08. Australia’s Lucas Fackerell, overtook that time in heat 2, posting a time of 3:56.70.

Australia’s Tex Cross led the first of two circle-seeded heats at the 100 turn ahead of the trio of US entrants, but by the 200 turn, Luke Ellis, Luca Mijatovic, and Gregg Enoch had all overtaken him, with Ellis flipping in 1:55.90, Mijatovic just .01 back and Enoch .20 back at 1:56.10. With two Americans in the next heat the three really kept up the pressure over the next 100 as Mijatovic did his best to gain some separation. Still, both of his compatriots were within half a second at the 300 turn. A drag race ensued on the closing 50, with Mijatovic turning on the after-burners to take the win in 3:52.40, a full second ahead of Ellis and Enoch, who finished in 3:53.48 and 3:53.90.

Knowing the time, put up in the heat before the US’s Norvin Clontz and Aiden Hammer attacked the race, and the pair led at the halfway mark, with Clontz flipping in 1:55.03 and Hammer in 1:55.61. Top seed and winner of the 400 IM last night, Asaki Nishikawa was just 5th at the turn in 1:56.84.

Hammer took the lead at the 300, passing Clontz, and was galloping into the last turn, flipping in first. Hammer’s backhalf surge paid off as not only did it mark a new PB but the time of 3:51.65, easily surpassed those times put up in the previous heat, meaning he’ll swim in the A-Final. Clontz was unable to match Hammer’s acceleration and was, in fact, passed by three swimmers as he finished 5th in the heat in 3:53.05, behind three Japanese swimmers, including Kazushi Imafuku’s 3:52.18 and Nishikawa’s 3:52.36.

Mijatovic’s last 50 split of 27.54 would have been very impressive had not Imafuku and Nishukawa attempted to close on Hammer, which closed in 27.38 and 27.51. Due to the two swimmer-per-nation rule, Clontz, Ellis, and Enoch, as well as Japan’s Tsujimori, will all miss the A-final despite having posted top 8 times, with Enoch missing out on the B-Final as well.

GIRLS 100 Butterfly – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 56.33– Mizuki Hirai, JPN (2024)
• Meet Record: 58.38 – Maggie MacNeil, CAN (2018)
• All Comers Record: 55.93– Emma McKeon,  AUS (2021)

Top 8:

1. Charlotte Crush (USA) – 58.55
2. Leah Shackley (USA) – 59.09
3. Jessica Cole (AUS) – 59.26
4. Kim Doyeon (KOR) – 59.74
5. Elloise Doolan (AUS) – 1:00.36
6. Clare Watson (CAN) – 1:00.44
7. Matea Gigovic (CAN) – 1:00.89
8. Yuika Kaise (JPN) – 1:01.27

16-year-old Charlotte Crush picked up where she left off in the 100 free, exploding off the blocks for the 100 fly and led the field at the 50 turn, hitting the wall in 27.04, more than a full second ahead of Erika Pelaez’s and Mikayla Bird’s 28.20. 15 meters off the turn, and Crush only built upon the lead and had a nearly body-length lead at the finish as she finished in 58.55. Second behind was Korea’s Kim Doyeon, who was 5th at the turn but surged to tough in 59.74, the only other sub-60 time in the field.

Youth again led at at the 50 turn as the USA’s Audrey Derivaux, 15, touched first in 27.80 ahead of Australia’s Jessica Cole (28.06). Leah Shackley, a veteran at this meet but still just 18 had a strong underwater off the turn and went from 3rd to 1st to take the heat win in 59.09. Derivaux was just behind at 59.19 but will miss out on the A-Final. Australia’s Cole joined the pair in under one minute, stopping the clock in 59.26.

BOYS 100 Butterfly – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 50.62– Kristoff Milak, HUN (2017)
• Meet Record: 51.98– Thomas Heilman, USA (2022)
• All Comers Record: 50.45– Matthew Temple, AUS (2021)

Top 8:

1. Kim Youngbeom (KOR) – 52.07
2. August Vetsch (USA) – 52.96
3. Rowan Cox (USA) – 53.20
4. Ulises Cazau (ARG) – 53.47
5. Thomas Pattison (AUS) – 53.64
6. Kosuke Hosonuma (JPN) – 53.88
7. Nicholas Duncan (CAN) – 54.04
8. Park Woomin (KOR) – 54.87

Heat 3 saw three no-shows, but that didn’t affect Australia’s Thomas Booth, who, swimming out of lane 1, recorded a new PB of two seconds, stopping the clock in 54.94.

Ulises Cazau of Argentina took the race out fast and led at the 50 mark, hitting the wall in 24.51. Rowan Cox of the USA, who was just in 4th at the turn (25.25), shifted into another gear in the last 25 and kept his head down to stop the clock in 53.20 and take the top time overall. Cazau would hold onto second, stopping the clock at 53.47.

Picking up where he left off in the 100, Korea’s Kim Youngbeom led the last heat at the turn, splitting 24.23, ahead of August Vetsch‘s 24.71. Kim kept the speed up and built even more of a lead as they approached the finish, with the Korean nearly breaking the JPP record of 51.98 as he stopped the clock in 52.07. Nearly a full second back was Vetsch, who recorded a mark of 52.96.

GIRLS 200 Backstroke– PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 2:03.35– Regan Smith, USA (2019)
• Meet Record: 2:08.81– Isabelle Stadden, USA (2018)
• All Comers Record: 2:03.14– Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)

Top 8:

1. Leah Shackley (USA) – 2:09.36
2. Tegan O’Dell (USA) – 2:09.89
3. Chiaki Yamaoto (JPN) – 2:12.66
4. Madison Kryger (CAN) – 2:12.71
5. Reina Liu (CAN) – 2:14.20
6. Ceclia Dieleke (ARG) – 2:14.61
7. Misuzu Nagaoka (JPN) – 2:16.01
8. Isabel Sheldrock (AUS) – 2:17.65

Fresh out of the 100 fly, Leah Shackley led the first of two circle seeded heat in the women’s 200 backstroke as she flipped in 1:03.71, leading out the Canadian Madison Kryger who was second in 1:04.67. The 100 fly, just minutes before, didn’t seem to affect Shackley too much as she opened up a lead of nearly two seconds at the 150 turn and cruised into the finish in a time of 2:09.36, just a little less than half a second off the meet record. Audrey Derivaux also pulled the double with the 100 fly and was within striking range at the 100 turn but faded on the backhalf, ultimately finishing in 2:12.98, more than three seconds off her entry time.

Charlotte Crush, 16, also pulling the double, was 2nd at the 100 turn, flipping in 1:04.22m trailing Tegan O’Dell, who was the class act of the first 100 as she flipped in 1:03.46. O’Dell looked smooth and in control as the back half of the race unfolded, with O’Dell pulling away from Crush to stop the clock in 2:09.89 ahead of Crush’s 2:12.69 and Lilla Bognar‘s 2:13.52.

At the end of the race, Crush’s result quickly shifted to DSQ and no time was displayed in the heat summary. In the men’s 200 backstroke, it was revealed her head did not break the surface by the 15-meter mark on the start.

BOYS 200 Backstroke– PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 1:55.14– Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• Meet Record: 1:57.00 – Hidekazu Takehara, JPN (2022)
• All Comers Record: 1:53.72 – Mitch Larkin, AUS (2015)

Top 8:

1. Aiden Norman (CAN) – 1:58.11
2. Gavin Keogh (USA) – 2:00.87
3. Ethan Ekk (CAN) – 2:02.06
4. Haruto Izumi (JPN) – 2:02.60
5. Blair McKitrick (AUS) – 2:04.22
6. Kim Minjun (KOR) – 2:04.93
7. Jack Morrow (AUS) – 2:05.24
8. Reagan Cheng (SGP) – 2:05.77

The penultimate heat of the morning was a duel between Canada’s Ethan Ekk and Japan’s Haruto Izumi. The pair were nearly inseparable at the start, but Ekk slowly gained ground on his competition with every stroke. Flipping in 59.02 to Izumi’s 59.92, Ekk turned on the jets and ballooned that lead to 1.35 at the 150 turn and won comfortably in 2:02.06, appearing to slow things down considerably in the closing meters as Izumi closed the gap to touch in 2:02.60.

The last heat of the morning session saw Ekk’s teammate Aidan Norman take the heat win and take the overall top time as he won convincingly in 1:58.11. Norman was just third at the 50 turn but passed the early leaders Shigeki Soeda and Gavin Keogh as he flipped at the halfway mark in 59.09. Norman only built upon that lead at the 100 as he actually negatively split the race, coming home in 59.02 to easily post the fastest time. His last 50 split of 29.07 was the only sub-30-split in the field, with Keogh’s 30.71 being the next quickest. Keogh, too would pass Soeda, and he finished 2nd in the heat in 2:00.87.