A total of 39 records fell on Day One of the five-day Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships, which was a stunning way to get us started here in Pasadena. Day Two produced another 39 and Day Three, 36.
World Records
On Thursday American Becca Meyers went 4:25.31 in prelims to set the world record in women’s 400 free S13. Daniel Fox of Australia broke the S14 world record for men’s 50 free in prelims with 25.18, then knocked another 4/10 off in finals to reset the mark at 24.77. Meanwhile Brazil’s Daniel Dias lowered his own world record in 50 free S5 with 31.94, the first-ever sub-32 in the class.
On Friday the only world record to fall was in the men’s 100 free S14: Daniel Fox of Australia broke it twice – he went 54.80 in prelims and then 54.69 in finals.
Ian Silverman broke the AR in men’s 100 fly s10 with 58.19. Photo: Anne Lepesant
American Records
Thursday saw six marks fall, beginning with Kayla Wheeler’s 50 fly S2 of 1:20.60 in prelims, which took down not only the American record but also the PanAm. Evan Austin had three in prelims: first he broke the American and PanAm 100 fly S8 with 1:06.88, then he came back with a 29.62 50 free to get that American S8 mark as well. In finals Jessica Long took her 400 free out in 2:19.60 which was good enough to lower the American mark in the women’s 200 free S8. Ian Silverman had a final swim of 58.19 in the 100 fly, setting a new standard for S10. Rafael Castillo set a S6 record in the men’s 50 free with 32.68.
The continued on Friday with Leslie Cichocki’s 100 back of 1:16.94 in prelims, which set not only the S14 AR but also the PanAm record; she then dropped another 2/10 to settle both marks at 1:16.74 in finals. Kayla Wheeler’s 50 breast in prelims was the fastest American and PanAm SB1 ever: 1:57.45. Dalton Herendeen had a double-double in breast: his 100 time of 1:16.28 in prelims broke both the American and PanAm records for SB8 and his finals swim of 1:16.11 lowered them again. Tharon Drake went 1:13.98 in prelims in his 100 breast to break the SB11 American and PanAm records.
Two more records went down in finals on Friday: Roy Perkins downed the AR in men’s 50 back S5 with 44.93 and Tucker Dupree rewrote history with his 54.17 in the men’s 100 free S12.
PanAm Records
In addition to those mentioned above, several other PanAm records fell during the first two days of competition. On Thursday, Canadian Dalton Boon’s prelims swims of 2:03.93 in the 200 free and 26.92 in the 50 free broke the S14 PanAm marks, while his finals times of 2:03.45 and 26.65, respectively, lowered them again. Boon’s Canadian teammate Adam Rahier got two PanAm marks of his own when he swam 1:05.07 in the 100 fly S14 in prelims, then 1:04.37 in finals.
On Friday, USA’s Breanna Sprenger set the PanAm record in S1 100 back with 4:29.31 in prelims. Dalton Boon was back with a couple of PanAm marks in the 100 free; he went 57.71 in prelims and 57.34 in finals to set the S14 record. Brazil’s Guilherme Silva picked up two records for his 100 breast SB13, going 1:14.39 in prelims and then 1:14.37 in finals. Finally Maxime Rousselle of Canada set the SB14 record in the men’s 100 breast twice: he swam 1:15.79 in prelims and 1:14.07 in finals.
Oceana Records
Australia’s Mitchell Kilduff set the Oceana record in men’s 100 fly S14 on Thursday with 1:00.28 in prelims; he then went 59.33 to lower the mark in finals. Australians Ahmed Kelly (S4) and Mathew Levy (S7) both doubled in the men’s 50 free: they were 52.14 and 28.34, respectively, in prelims and 52.13 and 28.17 in finals. Daniel Fox of Australia got is name in the record books once again when he went 25.18 in the 50 free for the S14 mark in prelims, and then 24.77 in finals. Teammate Grant Patterson set the S3 mark in the 50 free with his finals time of 52.69 on Thursday, as well as the 200 free S3 mark with 3:56.44. Mary Fisher of New Zealand set the women’s 400 free S11 record with 5:18.12.
Maddison Elliott of Australia women’s 100 back S8. Photo: Anne Lepesant
On Friday Ahmed Kelly returned with more Oceana records, starting with the 50 back S4: 1:01.49 in prelims, followed by a 3-second improvement of 58.69 in finals. Kayla Clarke of Australia went 1:13.35 in prelims for the 100 back S14 record. Daniel Fox set the 100 free S14 record twice: 54.80 in prelims and 54.69 in finals. Teammate Rick Pendleton picked up two of his own: 1:09.63 in prelims of 100 breast SB9, 1:08.45 in finals.
Several more Oceana records fell in finals: Grant Patterson of Australia in the men’s 50 back S3 with 50.09; Maddison Elliott (AUS) in women’s 100 back S8 with 1:18.71; Mary Fisher (NZL) in 100 back S11 with 1:18.94; and Taylor Corrie (AUS) in women’s 100 back S14, 1:12.17.
Africa Records
Gideon Nasilowski of Namibia broke four African records on Thursday. He first went 6:55.34 in men’s 200 free S3 and 1:35.18 for the 50 free S3 in prelims. He came back to finals and dropped time in both events: 6:50.88 for the 200 and 1:33.21 for the 50. Adri Visser of South Africa twice broke the 50 fly S5 record, with a 54.50 in prelims and 53.87 in finals. His teammate Charles Bouwer took the S13 50 free record with 24.69 in prelims, 24.14 in finals.
Charles Bouwer of South Africa at start of men’s 100 free S13. Photo: Anne Lepesant
On Friday, Hendrik Herbst of South Africa set the S11 mark in the 100 free in prelims with 59.60. His teammate Charles Bouwer broke the 100 free S13 mark in finals with 52.31.
Where can you look up PanAm records?