Pan Pacs Day 2: Gabe Mastromatteo is Canada’s Next Great Breaststroker

2018 JR. PAN PACIFIC SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

After the U.S. won all-but-two events on day 1 of the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, day 2 should be more of the same, as the Americans have the top seeds in all but 1 of the day’s 6 individual events.

The exception is the boys’ 100 breaststroke, where 16-year old Gabe Mastromatteo, the fastest age grouper in Canadian history in the event, comes in seeded at 1:01.33. A better 100 than 200 breaststroker, Mastromatteo was 9th in the semi-finals of this event at last year’s World Championships. At only 16, he’s already Canada’s 2nd-best male 100 breaststroker, behind only Richard Funk.

He leads a diverse field in that race that includes Daniel Roy of the USA and Yamato Fukasawa of Japan also seeded at better than 1:02.

Other Day 2 Storylines to Watch:

  • 15-year old Gretchen Walsh, who made the A-final in the 50 and 100 free at US Nationals in July, finished 12th overall in the 200 free on Thursday, but still beat her seed time twice. That bodes well for the 100 free on Friday, where she’s the top seed in 54.38 over countrymates Lucie Nordmann (55.08) and Isabel Ivey (55.10) by seven-tenths of a second. She’s got 7-tenths of a second to drop to get Missy Franklin‘s National Age Group Record in the event (she doesn’t age up until January, so no hurry there). She’s already the fastest American 15-year old in history, but a few numbers to chase include Missy Franklin‘s 54.03 from when she was 14, Taylor Ruck‘s 53.92 from when she was 15 and competing in the US, and Penny Oleksiak‘s 53.31 as the fastest North American time in the race by a 15-year old.
  • Japan has had only about 40 swimmers go faster than 50 seconds in the 100 free in the last decade. That’s as compared to about 100 Americans, the defending World Champions in the 400 free relay in the same time period. But Japan’s sprinting is trending upward, including a new National Record of 47.87 from Katsumi Nakamura in February. Another young swimmer that could join him on a potential 2020 Olympic relay is 18-year old Keisuke Ishizaki, who has been 49.88 already this year.

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Ugh
6 years ago

he was 9th at world champs? Or world junior champs…

Marley09
Reply to  Ugh
6 years ago

Worlds. Budapest

Marley09
Reply to  Marley09
6 years ago

my bad. sry.

Hmmm.....
6 years ago

Canada’s had a great breaststroker?

M Palota
Reply to  Braden Keith
6 years ago

World record holder for a time in that event, too. RIP

Aquajosh
Reply to  Hmmm.....
6 years ago

Annamay Pierse and Allison Higson have both won World Championship medals and each at one time held the 200 breaststroke world record as did Victor Davis (as Braden mentioned). Martha McCabe also has a World Championship medal. In fact, Canada won the men’s and women’s 200 breaststrokes in 1984 as Anne Ottenbrite and Victor Davis swept the golds, and each also won silvers in the 100 breast. So yeah, Canada has had some pretty good breaststrokers.

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
6 years ago

Sadly, I don’t think CAN Gabe Mastromatteo will end up being as good a meme as CAN Richard Funk.

Joel
6 years ago

Also Cate Campbell did 53.30 when 15 years old

Joel
6 years ago

USA won all but TWO events. Please fix😁

Marley09
6 years ago

Mastromateo had a great split on the mixed relay last night (1:00.4) which is even more encouraging for today. Hoping Avery Wiseman has a good bounce back meet after Edmonton. Today could be Canada’s best day.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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