5 Things to Watch For at the 2014 Pan Pac Para-Swimming Championships in Pasadena, California

2014 Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championship

• SwimSwam Coverage & Results
• Wednesday, August 5 – Sunday, August 10
• Pasadena, CA – Rose Bowl Aquatic Center
• Prelims 9:30AM/Finals 4:30PM Pacific Time
• Psych Sheet

The Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships begin in less than a week in Pasadena, California at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, where athletes from 19 countries will be competing in what is sure to be an unforgettable five days of competition. With some of the best Paralympic teams in the world present for competition, there will be many great performances to tune into. These are our top five stories to watch for next week when competition commences on Wednesday, August 5th.

1. Maddison Elliott and Jessica Long go head to head in the women’s S8 100m Freestyle – Maddison Elliott of Australia broke American swimmer Jessica Long’s world record time of a 1:05.63 in the S8 100m Freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by just over three tenths of a second with a time of 1:05.32.  At just 15 years of age, Elliott has stormed into the International swimming scene in style since the London 2012 Games, where she became the youngest Australian Paralympic gold medalist as a member of the women’s 34 point 4×100 Freestyle Relay team.  Elliott who won bronze at the London 2012 Games surprised everyone, including herself last summer when she won gold in the 100m Freestyle touching out Long at the 2013 IPC Long Course World Championships in Montreal.  Long, however has an impressive resume herself.  At the age of 12 she started what has become an impressive medal haul throughout her career, much like Elliott she made her international debut at the Paralympic Games.  At the Athens 2004 Games at just 12 years of age, Long brought home three gold medals for Team USA.  A 12-time Paralympic Gold medalist, but more impressively, the three-time defending Paralympic Champion in the S8 100m Freestyle, Long has certainly made a name for herself throughout her career.  Now the question remains, will Long fight to get her World Record back or are we possibly looking at a changing of the guards for the leader in the 100m Freestyle in the women’s S8 classification?
2. A crowed Men’s S10 field of competitors should garner a thrilling 100m Freestyle – Between having the presence of one of Brazil’s superstars, Andre Brasil, and American breakout superstar Ian Silverman the S10 men’s 100m Freestyle will be one of the most thrilling races of the competition. Silverman, who is attending University of Southern California in the fall and will be a member of their historically successful collegiate team, made his debut at the London 2012 Games where he won gold in the men’s S10 400m Freestyle.  Since London, Silverman has continued to put his name on the map in swimming.  At the 2013 IPC Long Course World Championships in Montreal, Silverman brought home gold in the 400m Freestyle, silver in the 100m Freestyle, and bronze in the 200m IM and 50m Freestyle.  Although, Brasil has been a force to be reckoned with in the S10 classification since his Paralympic debut in 2000.  At the 2013 IPC World Championships he won gold in the 100m Freestyle defending his Paralympic Gold from the London 2012 Games.  Although Brasil and Silverman are the front runners in the men’s S10 100m Freestyle, never underestimate the underdogs, Phelipe Rodrigues from Brazil and Andrew Pasterfield from Australia, as well as Nathan Stein from Canada are all in the field.
3. Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand coming off an impressive golden performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow – Paralympic Swimming sensation from New Zealand, Sophie Pascoe won gold in the SB9 100m Breaststroke and gold in the SM10 200m Individual Medley at her first performance at a Commonwealth Games. After winning three gold medals and three silver medals at the London 2012 Games, Pascoe went on to the 2013 IPC Long-Course World Championships in Montreal last summer and swam five events, bringing home an impressive five gold medals. Throughout Pascoe’s career in the pool, she has proven herself to be one of the top Paralympic Swimmers in the world, after breaking onto the scene in 2006 at the IPC World Championships in Durbin, South Africa. Pascoe will be competing next week in the S10 100m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle and the SB9 100m Breaststroke. Don’t be surprised if we see Pascoe leaving Pasadena next week with another impressive gold medal haul.
4. Jacqueline Freney not listed on psych sheet after pulling out of the Commonwealth Games – As of the last updated psych sheet put out by U.S. Paralympics on July 23, 2014, Australian Swimmer Jacqueline Freney’s name was not present as one of the competitors of next week’s Pan Pac Para-Swimming Championships. Freney had an impressive showing at the London 2012 Games, where she won eight golds in eight events in the S7 classification. However, Freney has not competed internationally since the London Games. On July 6th, Australia Swimming announced her withdrawal from competition for the Commonwealth Games due to fatigue and at the time said her focus would be this meet. Since the release of the psych sheets, however, neither Freney nor Swimming Australia has responded to a request for comment on whether or not she is plan. In Freney’s absence of this competition, that leaves the S7 classification wide open for the taking. Swimmers such as American’s Cortney Jordan and Leanne Smith, Canadian Brianna Nelson and Rebecca Dubber of New Zealand are now vying for gold, in which Freney left the door wide open for the taking in her absence.
5. American Brad Snyder back to International competition for the first time since the London 2012 Games – Snyder who won gold in the S11 100m Freestyle and 400m Freestyle, as well as silver in the 50m Freestyle at the London 2012 Games is making his way back onto the International stage for the first time in nearly 2 years. Snyder lost his vision while serving in the United States Navy in September 2011 when he stepped on an IED in an attempt to help victims of another bombing. In September of 2012, exactly one year to the date, Snyder won gold for Team USA in the 400m Freestyle. With his absence from International competition over the past two years, we eagerly anticipate Snyder to continue what he started back in London. As we look out for Snyder’s performance in the pool, he has also proven himself a leader outside of the pool, as he is co-captain for Team USA at these Championships, alongside Ian Silverman, Anna Eames and Cortney Jordan.

EVENT LINEUP

OPENING CEREMONY (Monday, Aug. 4)

DAY 1 (Wednesday, Aug. 6)

Women’s 200 Free (S1‐S5 & S14)

Men’s 400 Free (S6‐S13)

Men’s 50 Butterfly (S1‐S7)

Women’s 100m Butterfly (S8‐S14)

Women’s 50 Freestyle (S1‐S14)

Men’s 49 point 400 Free Relay

Men’s 56 point 400 Free Relay

DAY 2 (Thursday, Aug. 7)

Men’s 200 Free (S1‐S5 & S14)

Women’s 400 Free (S6‐S13)

Women’s 50 Butterfly (S1‐S7)

Men’s 100m Butterfly (S8‐S14)

Men’s 50 Freestyle (S1‐S14)

Women’s 49 point 400 Medley Relay

Women’s 56 point 400 Medley Relay

DAY 3 (Friday, Aug. 8)

Men’s 50m Backstroke (S1‐S5)

Women’s 100m Backstroke (S1‐S2, S6‐S14)

Men’s 100m Freestyle (S1‐S14)

Women’s 50m Breaststroke (SB1‐SB3)

Men’s 100m Breaststroke (SB4‐SB14)

Women’s 20 point 200 Medley Relay

Women’s 34 point 400 Medley Relay

DAY 4 (Saturday, Aug. 9) 

Women’s 150m Individual Medley (SM1‐SM4)

Men’s 150m Individual Medley (SM1‐SM4)

Women’s 200m Individual Medley (SM5‐SM14)

Men’s 200m Individual Medley (SM5‐SM14)

Women’s 50m Backstroke (S1‐S5)

Men’s 100m Backstroke (S1‐S2, S6‐S14)

Mixed 20 point 200 Free Relay

Men’s 34 point 400 Medley Relay

DAY 5 (Sunday, Aug. 10)

Women’s 100m Freestyle (Classes S1‐ S14)

Men’s 50m Breaststroke (SB1‐SB3)

Women’s 100m Breaststroke (SB4‐SB14)

Men’s 20 point 200 Medley Relay

Men’s 34 point 400 Free Relay

Women’s 34 point 400 Free Relay

Men’s 49 point 400 Medley Relay

Men’s 56 point 400 Medley Relay

Women’s 56 point 400 Free Relay

Preliminaries start at 9:30 a.m. (warm-up 8 a.m.) while finals begin at 4:30 p.m. (warm-up 3:30 p.m.)

START TIMES

• US Pacific Time: Prelims 9:30AM/Finals 4:30PM
• US Eastern Time: Prelims 12:30PM/Finals 7:30PM
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Prelims 1:30PM/Finals 8:30PM
• London, England: Prelims 5:30PM/Finals 12:30AM(next day)
• Paris, France: Prelims 6:30PM/Finals 1:30AM(next day)
• Sydney, Australia: Prelims 2:30AM(next day)/Finals 9:30AM(next day)

About Mallory Weggemann:

Just two months prior to her 19th birthday, Mallory Weggemann went in to receive her third and final epidural injection to help treat back pain, however due to complications from the procedure, Weggemann was left a paraplegic with complete loss of movement from her abdomen down. But instead of focusing on the life she lost, she did the incredible, creating a new life for herself. Within four months of her paralysis, Weggemann was back in the swimming pool, and less than four years later had set 15 world records and 33 American records as well as proceeded to win gold and bronze at the 2012 London Paralympics. Now, in addition to competing internationally and training for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Weggemann is an international speaker, delivering messages that are not only inspirational, but also offer valuable lessons in leadership, attitude and survival in the face of tremendous odds.”