2014 Junior Pan Pacs – Day One Finals Live Recap

2014 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 27th-Sunday, August 31st
• Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
• Prelims 9AM (local time) / 12PM PDT / 3PM EDT / 4AM+1 Tokyo / 5AM+1 Sydney / 9PM Cape Town / 4PM Rio de Janeiro / 8PM London / 9PM Paris
• 2012 results
• Psych Sheets
• Live stream
• Live results
• Results also available on Meet Mobile under “2014 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships”

Wednesday, August 27th:

• 200 free
• 100 back
• 200 fly
• Girls 800 free
• Boys 1500 free

Women’s 200 freestyle

American Katie Drabot took the women’s 200 freestyle in a time of 1:58.73 that puts her 10th in the 18 and under world rankings. Drabot, who was the top seed coming into the competition, posted a lifetime best beating her previous time of 1:59.32.

Shayna Jack of Australia picked up the silver recording a time of 1:59.48. Jack came into the meet with a lifetime best of 1:59.67. Courtney Harnish of the United States picked up the bronze finishing in a time of 2:00.46.

Alexandra Aitchison of Canada finished fourth in a time of 2:00.81 followed by Chelsea Gillett of Australia (2:01.04), Sachi Mochida of Japan (2:01.04), Hiroko Makino of Japan (2:02.87) and Alexandra Buscher of Canada (2:03.66).

Men’s 200 freestyle

American Townley Haas had a tremendous swim in the men’s 200 freestyle taking the event in a time of 1:48.32 breaking the competition record of 1:48.44 which was set by Clay Youngquist in 2010. After turning second at the 100 meter mark Haas separated himself from the rest of the field with a strong third 50 taking a lead that he would not give up.

Haas bettered his lifetime best of 1:48.75 by 43 one-hundredths of a second and with his winning time moves him into the sixth place in the 18 and under world rankings.

After turning fifth at the 100 meter American Blake Pieroni had a strong second half grabbing the silver in a time of 1:48.85. Pieroni came into the competition with a lifetime best of 1:49.26.

Kats Matsumoto of Japan led the final at the 100 meter mark turning in a time of 52.10, but struggled in the final 100 meters, ultimately finishing third in a time of 1:49.90.

Li Yongwei of China finished fourth in a time of 1:51.57 followed by Peter Brothers of Canada (1:52.26), Samuel Young of Australia (1:52.64), Damian Fyfe of Australia (1:53.57) and Fuyu Yoshida of Japan (1:55.01).

Women’s 100 backstroke

Amy Bilquist of the United States struck gold in the women’s 100 backstroke posting a lifetime best of 1:01.00. Bilquist led the race from start to finish turning at the 50 meter mark in a time of 29.88.

Danielle Hanus picked up the first medal of the competition for the Canadians taking the silver in a time of 1:01.51. Hanus had the fastest second half of any swimmer in the final recording a split of 30.92.

Rio Shirai of Japan finished third in a time of 1:01.82. She was followed by Lucy McJannett of Australia (1:02.21), Minna Atherton of Australia (1:02.72), Natsumi Sakai of Japan (1:03.01), Dalin Lee of Korea (1:03.49) and Hannah Weiss of the United States (1:03.57).

Men’s 100 backstroke

Four events down four victories for the Americans. This time it was Connor Green who earned his way to the top spot on the podium winning the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 55.08. Green split the race incredibly well taking his first 50 meters out in a time of 27.35 and finishing in a split of 27.73.

His American teammate Michael Andrew took the silver in a time of 55.81. Andrew was the top qualifier in the event after posting a time of 55.80 in the prelims.

Canadian Markus Thormeyer took the bronze in a time of 56.07. His time is a new national record for 15-17 year olds breaking the previous mark of 56.12 set by Omar Mahmoud Arafa in 2011.

Andrew Trembath of New Zealand finished fourth in a time of 56.48 followed by Anders Klein of Canada (56.69), Peter Mills of Australia (57.11), Andy Xianyang Song An of Mexico (58.04) and Mateo Gonzalez Medina of Mexico (58.04).

Women’s 200 butterfly

It was an incredible finish to the women’s 200 butterfly with only six one-hundredths of a second separating the top two finishers. The first three quarters of the race belonged to Hannah Kukurugya who turned first at the 150 meter mark in a time of 1:34.30. That all changed in the final 50 meters as both Haruno Ito of Japan and Cassidy Bayer of the United States overtook Kukurgya. Ito took the gold in a time of 2:09.02 followed by Bayer who touched in a time of 2:09.08 and Kukurugya who finished in a time of 2:09.68.

Splits:

• Haruno Ito – 29.43/1:02.16 (32.73)/1:36.35 (34.19)/2:09.02 (32.67)
• Cassidy Bayer – 29.81/1:02.50 (32.69)/1:36.07 (33.57)/2:09.08 (33.01)
• Hannah Kukurugya – 28.57/1:00.28 (31.71)/1:34.30 (34.02)/2:09.68 (35.38)

Both Ito and Bayer were under under the Junior Pan Pacific Championship record of 2:09.48 set by Nutsuki Akiyama in 2007. Their times also place them sixth and seventh in the 18 and under world rankings.

Suzuka Hasegawa of Japan finished fourth in a time of 2:10.41 followed by Christina Licciardi of Australia (2:14.04), Jacomie Strydom of Canada (2:15.10), Grace Sommerville of New Zealand (2:16.47) and Megan Gianotti (2:16.76).

Men’s 200 butterfly

In the prelims this morning Andrew Seliskar of the United States set a new Junior Pan Pacific Championship record in the men’s 200 butterfly posting a time of 1:56.65 breaking the previous mark of 1:57.40 set by Kenta Hirai in 2012. In this evening’s final Seliskar broke the record once again winning the event in a time of 1:55.92.

Seliskar’s is a new junior world record beating Hungarian Tamas Kenderesi’s record time of 1:55.95 which he posted at the Youth Olympic Games.

It was a tight race between Seliskar and Japan’s Yuya Yajima for 150 meters where the two were separated by only 31 one-hundredths of a second, but the final 50 meters was a completely different story. Seliskar split a 30.69 out swimming Yajima, who split a 32.76, by almost two seconds.

Yajima collected the silver in a time of 1:58.30. American Corey Okubo was the only other swimmer to break the two minute barrier winning the bronze in a time of 1:59.23.

Australian Jacob Hansford finished fourth in a time of 2:00.02 followed by Bradlee Ashby of New Zealand (2:01.53), Joachim Bardrum of Australia (2:02.37), Osvald Nitski of Canada (2:02.42 and Junya Higuchi of Japan (2:02.59).

Women’s 800 freestyle

Sierra Schmidt of the United States took the women’s 800 freestyle in a time of 8:34.71. Schmidt had an extremely even race turning at the 400 meter mark in a time of 4:17.24 and finishing the final half of the race in a time of 4:17.47. She just missed her lifetime best of 8:34.58.

Australian Sacha Downing grabbed the silver in a time of 8:37.04. Downing also had a very well split race taking the first 400 meters out in a time of 4:18.12 followed by a split of 4:18.92.

Courtney Harnish of the United States, who was the top entrant in the event finished third in a time of 8:40.67.

Canadian Alexandra Aitchison finished fourth in a time of 8:41.90 followed by Yukimi Moriyama of Japan (8:42.35), Chinatsu Sato of Japan (8:42.61), Sophia Saroukian of Canada (8:44.87) and Moesha Johnson of Australia (8:46.75).

Men’s 1500 freestyle

American Liam Egan took the final event of the evening, winning the men’s 1500 freestyle in a time of 15:15.53. Egan and Jon McKay of Canada had a great battle for the majority of the race until the American began to separate himself at the 1200 meter mark. Egan improved on his entry time of 15:25.22 by almost seven seconds.

McKay finished second in a time of 15:21.02 followed by Sean Grieshop of the United States who took the bronze in a time of 15:29.87.

Canadian Peter Brothers finished fourth in a time of 15:30.29 followed by Shingo Nakaya of Japan (15:33.57, Joshua Parrish of Australia (15:36.49), Atsuya Yoshida of Japan (15:46.40) and Lachlan Coloquohoun of Australia (15:47.18).