2018 Pan Pacific Championships
- Thursday, August 9 – Tuesday, August 14, 2018
- Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Event schedule
- Meet site
- Meet records
Young sprint stars Caeleb Dressel and Kyle Chalmers should meet for the first time since the 2016 Olympics in what could be a clash of sprint free titans.
The two raced head to head at the Rio Olympics, but haven’t faced off directly since. In 2016, Chalmers – then 18 – roared home with an absurd back half to stun the Olympic field and win gold for the swimming-crazed nation of Australia. Dressel, competing in his first-ever senior international meet, was just 6th, though he did swim a best time of 47.91 in prelims. Point: Chalmers.
Then in 2017, Dressel blasted onto the national scene, winning 7 golds at the World Championships, including a 47.17 in the 100 that ranked him 3rd all-time among textile swims. Chalmers missed the meet after having heart surgery. Point: Dressel.
The rubber match is 2018, where Dressel and Chalmers are both slated to swim, though without much in-season dazzle from either. A likely-unrested Dressel averted a near-disaster at U.S. Nationals, missing the Pan Pacs team for two days (including taking 6th in this event in 48.50) before sneaking on late. Chalmers tied for silver at Commonwealth Games in April – that’s typically a pretty important meet for Australia, but there’s really no telling if Chalmers will be more primed for Pan Pacs than he was in going 48.15 there.
Neither will be the top seed in the 100 free, but the duo should draw the most eyes in Tokyo after their stellar 2017 and 2016 seasons, respectively.
Katsumi Nakamura of Japan is the season-leader among Pan Pacs nations at 47.87, a Japanese record. Brazil should field a bunch of competitive threats. Pedro Spajari is 4th in the world (47.95) this year and Gabriel Santos 5th (47.98) after both broke 48 at Brazil’s Maria Lenk Trophy in April. Marcelo Chierighini was fifth at Worlds last summer in 48.11, though he’s been about three tenths slower so far this year.
2015 World Champ Ning Zetao looks to be back for China, but he’s been a bit of a mystery over the past few years, missing finals in Rio before being booted off the national team last year. He’s the only other sub-48 contender in the world so far this year, though, and should be a real factor if he’s competing. (China tends to place a bigger focus on Asian Games, and it’s not clear if they’ll send most of their top swimmers to Pan Pacs or not).
There should be several other Americans and at least one more Australian fighting for the A final, though each nation can only qualify 2 A finalists and 1 B finalist after entering as many as they want for prelims. Jack Cartwright actually beat Chalmers at Australian Trials, though Chalmers returned the favor at Commonwealths. Cameron McEvoy, Australia’s other top threat, is not competing.
For the Americans, Nathan Adrian is a perennial international force who very rarely seems to have an off meet. Behind him is a surge of youth coming out of the NCAA: Blake Pieroni beat Adrian and Dressel for the U.S. National title in 48.08, and Zach Apple was actually faster than that (48.06) in prelims. Townley Haas has typically been more of a 200/400 type, but seems to be coming down in distance and went 48.30 at U.S. Nationals.
Moving down to the 50 yields many of the same suspects. Dressel is probably still the odds-on favorite after going 21.15 last year, and with Worlds silver medalist Bruno Fratus out for Brazil, Dressel should be the only 2017 Worlds A finalist in this event competing in the Pan Pacs field. But he’ll have to contend with youngster Michael Andrew, the 19-year-old who won four events at U.S. Nationals and has come of age as a four-stroke speedster. Andrew’s 21.49 beat Dressel’s 21.67 at U.S. Nationals.
Brazil’s Spajari (21.82) should also be in the mix, along with Adrian (21.85) of the United States and Nakamura (21.87) of Japan. Defending champ Fratus is out of Pan Pacs as is 2014 silver medalist Anthony Ervin. In fact, Adrian, Nakamura and Chierighini are the only returning A finalists in the mix this time around.
Medalist Picks
50 Free
| Medal | Name | Nation | Season-best | Lifetime-best |
| Gold | Caeleb Dressel | USA | 21.67 | 21.15 |
| Silver | Michael Andrew | USA | 21.49 | 21.49 |
| Bronze | Pedro Spajari | Brazil | 21.82 | 21.82 |
100 Free
| Medal | Name | Nation | Season-best | Lifetime-best |
| Gold | Caeleb Dressel | USA | 48.50 | 47.17 |
| Silver | Kyle Chalmers | Australia | 48.15 | 47.58 |
| Bronze | Nathan Adrian | USA | 48.25 | 47.52 |
wpDiscuz
Why don’t you put time predictions anymore? 😭
“Showdown”. Dressel by a bodylength.
You ought to show more respect to Chalmers. Dude won Olympic Gold at 18 in the 100 free. Never been done before by a guy that young. If he’s back to Rio shape then it will definitely NOT be a body length.
I think Kyle’s best event in 2020 will be the 200.
Dressel was tapered for Nationals. As per his interview posted on youtube, he says he had a bad swim in the 100 free. He talked about butting heads with Troy, the pressure of the meet, the time consumption, time management problems, and time consuming commitments of turning pro. After seeing that full interview, I doubt Dressel will improve much on the 100 fly, 50 free. He will be 47+ in 100 free as he did have a bad swim and missed his turn. So he is human after all.
If you think Dressel was fully prepared physically for nationals I don’t really think I can help you.
i would agree too that Dressel will reveal his true cards at Pan pacs
I just don’t understand how you think he’s tapered. 100 free: he was fighting the water. His starts were average and his turns were slow. He couldn’t finish like he usually does.
50 fly: He had a better start and better finish into the wall.
100 fly: His start was way better than it was before, and he closed like MP.
For me, this shows that he was in heavy training very recently.
I don’t think Chalmers will be close to Dressel at all. He’ll be about a second off.
Can’t that also be indicative of a missed taper?
So, NOT tapered for the 100 Free, but tapered for the 100 Fly?
If you are not tapered for a meet, won’t you be more tapered for events later in the meet?
So he lied in the interview?
Definitely not tapered at Nationals. He didn’t taper for Nationals last year and was almost certainly, in both his and Troy’s minds, a shoo-in to make the team.
Dressel does say he had a bad swim. But he does not say anything about a taper. That’s just not true.
He gave a half dozen reasons as to why he didn’t swim his best and none of them were I did not taper. I know he will go a 47+ in the 100 free at Pan Pacs and I hope he makes the Worlds in 100 free. He is a champion. He will bounce back.
Dressel isn’t the type of guy to say he simply didn’t rest. Let’s see how your prediction plays out in at Pan Pacs… Don’t sleep on the guy
What makes you think that? He’s the kind of guy that tweets out that he’s going to swim the 800 free relay when he’s not going to. Seems like the same kind of guy.
I agree. If Dressel were to say I didn’t taper it would be like making a petty excuse. He doesn’t seem like a petty excuse type of guy to me.
No way he was tapered. Probably backed off the yardage a bit for a few days before the meet
How many swimmers out there will say that they missed taper or not tapered? As usually the timing of the taper is up to the coach, if am not wrong. Am sure he does not want to put Troy under the bus.
Yawn.. everyone finding excuses for Dressel..
At least he’s still relevant compared to your boy.
Chalmers is back to Rio shape and hungary Dressel aint going to win by a body length
Considering their characteristics, I would reverse the third finishers, because Spajari is more a 100 freer than a 50. So, unlikely that he’ll overcome Adrian in the 50.
In the 100 fr, if Cartwright is fit, very likely he’ll swim under 48″. So, he’ll be in the mix for a medal.
On the one hand, Spajari is better at the 100, but on the other, the field here is also better in the 100. Plus, in the 50, Spajari doesn’t have to get by Adrian… if Dressel and Andrew are the top two Americans, Adrian is in the B final regardless. So Spajari only has to beat the rest of the field (not any of the Americans) to take bronze.
I would agree a little to Nuoto because Spajari has been putting PBs every time he hit the water.. also It seems he split a 46,7 on the relay of 2017 Military Games, also his 47,95 seemed OK, his final time 48,01 was with a terrible start..
Also it might be crazy but we might have a prelims with top 8 going 47… unlikely but not impossible..
Also, the ones who will benefit a lot from this will be other nations for final.. Brazilian and US will fight a lot for the top 2.. creating also a very strong B Final..
If we take 2 US, 2 Brazil, 2 Australia and 1 JPN the last guy on A final… Read more »
I doubt you will see 8 under 48 in the prelims of the 100 free. i’m guessing the Americans lead the way in the prelims in most events given the teams depth and A final swimmer limit by nation. Not to mention WC spots are still on the line.. The other top contenders have more leeway to get in the A final.
Not all will have such a leeway.. US is tough due to Worlds qualification, but the 4 top Brazil guys won´t want to go B final or miss alltogether also, probable the Australians will take a bit easier, then Nakamura who will need to go fast but will have less competition maybe.
This is a good point. I don’t know why I keep forgetting that only 2 Americans can make the A final. I was thinking, “Surely Adrian will be 21.8 and be in contention for bronze.”
True, I didn’t consider the two per nation’s rule, so that it will be difficult (with Dressel and Andrew) for Adrian swimming the A final.
Yeah, the American guys will be motivated in prelims because if they don’t make one of those top 3 spots they can’t bump their way into 2019 Worlds
I think that B finals at Pan Pacs can qualify
That’s correct. B Finals at Nationals cannot, but at Pan Pacs they can.
I will be looking for Apple or Pieroni to spice up that race …..they both can be under 48 .
Interested to see who else might swim the 100 free – Andrews, Conger seem to be two logical possibilities and either would not be a surprise if they popped off a 47+ swim.
Anyone who reads the comments knows I’m a huge MA fan… but he’s not going a 47 for the foreseeable future. Needs major technique changes but why change your stroke when it works so well for a 50 free? The downside to his stroke is he can’t finish a 100 free or 200 IM. The upside… he could realistically be the best 50 freestyler in history within the next few years.
From an Olympic prospects point of view would seem worth the effort to develop it.
It seems the 50 free is going to be Dressel and another in 2020. On such a tight event as the 50, MA might not be that other.
But the 100 is Dressel and 5 others, if he can get his 100 anywhere near his 50 (his breast and fly show he has the endurance), he’s on the plane.
Who on earth could be the “other” in the United States for the Men’s 50 free in the next two years? Come on… Dressel and Andrew pretty much have it locked up and I am fairly certain that Adrian doesn’t have another 21.3 in him.
He’s the favourite, but it’s always a risk with the 50 that you get a bad start or break out and someone else sneaks in, the US always has strong competition for places.
“Other” than Dean Farris, of course.
@Togger, your point is true. Endurance is not his problem in the 100 free as so many wrongfully assume. It’s not even his problem in the 200 IM. It’s that his freestyle technique is not conducive to anything other than all out sprinting. People know he does USRPT so assume it’s an endurance issue. I promise you it isn’t.
MA said the 100 free is a work in progress. He is not going from a PB of 49+ to 47+ in 12 days. However if the schedule is favorable I can see him swimming the 100 free to get the experience if it does not impact on his other events.
He can’t swim fast when he has to breath, as in a 100. When he doesn’t breathe, he doesn’t need to change his stroke, because there’s no one his age who can beat him.
I love how these points are awarded to Chalmers and Dressel in this: Chalmers beats Dressel at the Olympics in 2016…point to Chalmers. Chalmers has heart surgery and can’t compete in 2017…point to Dressel for not racing the guy going through heart surgery!
I don’t care. If you don’t swim the major international meet of the year, you still get 0 points by forfeiting.
You’re kidding right Craigh?
looking a for a new club and coach to train.
He’s taking time off to pursue academics