2022 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- August 24-27, 2022
- Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center
- Honolulu, Hawaii (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time)
- Prelims 9:00 AM / Finals 5:00 PM (GMT-10)
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Streaming
BOYS 200 METER FREESTYLE – FINAL
- Jr World: 1:42.97 – David Popovici (2022)
Jr Pan Pac: 1:47.65 – Drew Kibler (2018)
Podium:
- Flynn Southam, Australia – 1:47.11
- Maximus Williamson, USA – 1:48.21
- Adam Wu, Canada – 1:48.26
Rising Australian star Flynn Southam got the job done tonight in the boys 200 free final at Junior Pan Pacs, posting a decisive victory in 1:47.11, also breaking the Championship Record in the process. American 15-year-old Maximus Williamson was out tied with Southam at the 50m turn, then pulled ahead on the 2nd 50, leading the race at 100m. Southam then put together an incredible back half, splitting 27.08 on the 3rd 50 and a sizzling 26.80 on the final 50, for a 53.88 coming home.
In fact, Southam nearly even-split the race, taking it out in 53.23 then coming home in 53.88. It was just the latest in a long line of strong performances in the 200 free by Southam this year. Southam’s personal best of 1:46.77 was set in April at the Australian Age Championships. Now 17 years old, Southam stands as one of the up-and-coming sprint freestylers, not just in Australia, but around the world.
Here is a split comparison between Southam’s swim tonight and the previous Junior Pan Pacs Record, which was held by American Drew Kibler at 1:47.65, a time which he swam at the 2018 Championships.
| Splits | Flynn Southam – 2022 Jr Pan Pacs Final | Drew Kibler – 2018 Jr Pan Pacs Final |
| 50m | 25.29 | 24.80 |
| 100m | 53.23 (27.94) | 51.98 (27.18) |
| 150m | 1:20.31 (27.08) | 1:19.92 (27.84) |
| 200m | 1:47.11 (26.80) | 1:47.65 (27.73) |
| FINAL TIME | 1:47.11 | 1:47.65 |
The big difference between Southam and Kibler’s swims is that Kibler was out significantly faster then Southam, flipping at the 100m turn 1.25 seconds ahead of Southam. It’s interesting, because Kibler’s race was very well swum in the conventional sense. He went 24.80 going out, then was able to hold 27s for the remaining 50s, even swimming a little faster on the final 50 than on 50 #3. While Kibler’s race was very well put together, Southam’s is just on another level in terms of the splitting. It’s rare that we see an LCM 200 free split as tightly as Southam’s was tonight.
Southam has had a big summer, getting his first senior international experience as well. He competed at the Commonwealth Games a handful of weeks ago, wherein he helped Australia to gold medals and Championship Records in the men’s 4×100 free and 4×200 free relays.
The big dilemma is that Popovic is 4 seconds ahead of him and around the same age group? Will be a very difficult hurdle to overcome moving forward
Swimming progress isn’t linear. There’s no guarantee that Popovici will continue to improve just because he’s 17 (see Regan Smith, for example). There’s also no guarantee Flynn will continue. No point in comparing what ifs when anything could happen.
Huh? The whole point of the sport of swimming is comparing times between swimmers .. not sure you’re following the same sport
Comparing times, yes. Assuming that each swimmer will progress in a linear fashion, no.
Yes of course you can compare times for swimmers. But you seem to be drawing a conclusion based on the present time.
In 2019, who predicted that Kaylee McKeown would win the backstroke double in Tokyo and Smith would win bronze in the 100 and fail to qualify for the 200? Smith was younger than Kaylee and faster in both events.
Paris is still two years away.
Exactly.
women’s 100 back 2019
Regan Smith 57.57
Kaylee McKeown 59.10
women’s 200 back 2019
Regan Smith 2:03.35
Kaylee McKeown 2:06.26
women’s 100 back 2021
Regan Smith 57.64
Kaylee McKeown 57.45
women’s 200 back 2021
Regan Smith 2:06.79
Kaylee McKeown 2:04.28
Ruta Meilutyte, Lilly King and Tatjana Schoenmaker were all born in 1997. They are breast Olympic champions in 2012, 2016 and 2021 respectively.
In 2016, Penny Oleksiak was predicted to dominate sprint free and fly in Tokyo. She already went 56.46 and got Olympic silver in 100 fly, while Maggie Mac Neil, at the same age with Oleksiak, was still trying to break 1 minute in the same event.
It was eventually Mac Neil who won 100 fly in Tokyo. And the sprint freestyle golds were won by Emma McKeon, who’s 6 years older than Oleksiak.
You never know what will happen in the long careers of the swimmers.
Great swim tonight!!! Last wall was amazing!! Great underwater..