2014 Jr Pan Pacific Championships: Day 3 Finals Real-Time Recaps

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
• Medals Table After Day 2
• Full Day 2 finals recap
• Results also available on Meet Mobile under “2014 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships”

Friday, August 29th:

• 400 free
• 100 fly
• 200 back
• 4×100 free relay (finals only)

Women’s 400 freestyle

Courtney Harnish of the United States took the first event of the evening winning the women’s 400 freestyle in a time of 4:09.36. Harnish came into Maui a lifetime best time of 4:12.20, which she posted at the U.S. Summer Nationals earlier this month. The American had a very strong second half of the race, negative splitting the event (2:04.87/2:04.49).

Harnish recorded a 30.00 in her last 50 meters overtaking the race leader Tamsin Cook of Australia who finished with a final 50 split of 32.06. Her final time puts her 10th in the 18 and under world rankings.

Cook, who came into the event as the fastest entrant, collected the silver finishing in a time of 4:10.91.

Canadian Alexandra Aitchison picked up the bronze finishing in a lifetime best time of 4:11.16. Aitchison entered the competition with a best time of 4:13.33.

Chinatsu Sato of Japan finished fourth in a time of 4:12.90 followed by American Madison Homovich (4:14.42), Sacha Downing of Australia (4:16.12), Sophia Saroukian of Canada (4:18.41) and Miho Nakayama of Japan (4:23.45).

Men’s 400 freestyle

At the 200 meter mark of the men’s 400 freestyle American Liam Egan turned over three second behind leader Li Yongwei of China, who swam the first 200 meters in a time of 1:53.94. Egan, who won the 1500 freestyle on the first night of the competition, had an incredible second half of the race to take the evnet in a time of 3:52.59.

Egan took the first half of the race out in a time of 1:57.05 and recorded a 1:55.54 in the final 200 meters.

It would have been interesting to have seen Egan go head to head with 200 freestyle champion and teammate Townley Haas. Unfortunately Hassa was not in the mix since there are only two athletes per country allowed in the and Haas was the third fastest American in the prelims. Haas did take the B-final in a time of 3:52.67.

Egan’s teammate Aidan Burns grabbed the silver finishing in a time of 3:53.10. Burns was able to hold off a fast charing Joshua Parrish of Australia who won the bronze in a time of 3:53.85.

Canadian Peter Brothers finished fourth in a time of 3:55.00 followed by Fuyu Yoshida of Japan (3:55.71), Li (3:56.11), Jacob Hansford of Australia (3:57.25) and Canadian Tristan Cote (3:59.49).

 Women’s 100 butterfly

Suzuka Hasegawa of Japan entered this evening’s 100 butterfly with the top time from prelims, qualifying in a time of 59.64. Tonight Hasegawa took the gold in the event finishing in a time of 58.91. She led the race from start to finish turning in a time of 27.64 and recording a split of 31.27 on her second 50.

Christina Licciardi of Australia won the silver finishing in a time of 59.36. Licciardi entered the competition with the fastest time of 59.09.

Hasegawa’s teammate Rikako Ikee grabbed the silver in a time of 59.50.

Hannah Kukurugya of the United States finished fourth in a time of 59.93 followed by teammate Cassidy Bayer (1:00.17), Canadian Jacomie Strydom (1:00.24), Song Yutong of China (1:01.14) and Canadian Lili Margitai (1:01.85).

Men’s 100 butterfly

In the prelims of the men’s 100 butterfly American Alex Valente missed Daniel Bell’s junior world record of 52.52 by nine one-hundredths of a second. He had another shot at the record this evening, but this missed the mark by eight one-hundredths of a second,. Valente picked up the gold in a time of 52.60.

Although he did miss the junior world record it definitely was not for a lack of trying. Valente took the first 50 meters of tonight’s final out six tenths of a second faster than his prelims time, but was not able to have the same speed in the second half:

Splits:

• Prelims – 25.19/27.42 – 52.61
• Finals – 24.59/28.01 – 52.60

Teammate Andrew Seliskar, who broke the junior world record in the 200 butterfly on Wednesday evening, took the silver in a time of 53.14. Bradlee Ashby of New Zealand took the bronze in a time of 53.81.

Yuya Yajima of Japan finished fourth in a time of 54.01 followed by Canadian Nicolaas Dekker (54.40), Yuya Sakamoto of Japan (54.53), Dominic Richardson (54.57) and Mateo Gonzalez Medina of Mexico (54.71).

Women’s 200 backstroke

It has definitely been a good night for the Japanese women. They collected gold and bronze in the women’s 100 butterfly and followed that up by going one two in the women’s 200 backstroke. Rio Shirai and Rika Yuhara were neck and neck for most of the race. Yuhara led Shirai by 19 one-hundredths of a second at the 100 meter mark going into the final 50 Shirai had taken a lead of 11 one-hundredths of a second. She continued to extend that lead eventually winning the event in a time of 2:11.67.

Yuhara finished second in a time of 2:12.51.

Dalin Lee of Korea took the bronze in a time of 2:13.24.

American Danielle Galyer finished fourth in a time of 2:13.77 followed by Monique Rae of Australia (2:13.87), Canadian Danielle Hanus (2:14.42), Mackenzie Glover of Canada (2:14.87) and American Emily Allen (2:16.45).

Men’s 200 backstroke

The Americans reclaimed the podium in the men’s 200 backstroke collected both the gold and silver in the event. Connor Green, who was the fastest entrant in the event, won the race with ease finishing in a time of 1:59.60, a second and a half ahead of his teammate Corey Okubo. Although Green had a decisive victory he was still slower than his lifetime best of 1:57.60.

Okubo finished in a time of 2:01.17.

Canadian Markus Thormeyer grabbed the bronze touching in a time of 2:01.55. He was followed by teammate Anders Klein who posted a time of 2:02.45.

Australian Peter Mills finished fifth in a time of 2:02.92 followed by Andy Xianyan Song An of Mexico (2:04.37), Andrew Trembath of New Zealand (2:07.09) and Juran Mizohata of Japan (2:07.43).

Women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay

The women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay was an incredible race that saw both the Australians and Americans dip under the Junior Pan Pacific Championship record of 3:40.97 set by the United States in 2010.

The Aussies had a lead of almost a second at the halfway point of the race when Katie Drabot of the United States gave the Americans a lead of 38 one-hundredths of a second heading into the final 100 meters. American Katrina Konopka held off Australian Chelsea Gillet in the first 50 meters turning five one-hundredths of a second ahead of the 100 freestyle silver medalist.

In the end it was Gillet, who had a blazing fast split of 54.33, who got the better of the American leading the Australians to victory in a final time of 3:39.73. The Americans finished second in a time of 3:40.14.

Splits:

Australia

• Lucy McJannett – 55.07
• Shayna Jack – 54.66
• Sophie Taylor – 55.67
• Chelsea Gillet – 54.33

United States

• Stanzi Moseley – 55.66
• Amy Bilquist – 55.00
• Katie Drabot – 54.46
• Katrina Konopka – 55.02

Japan took the bronze in a time of 3:45.53 just ahead of the Canadians who finished in a time of 3:45.79.

China finished fifth in a time of 3:46.54 followed by Mexico (3:53.27) and the Fiji Islands (4:18.20).

Men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay

The American men missed the Junior Pan Pacific record of 3:18.67, which was set by their fellow countrymen in 2012, by one one-hundredth of a second. The made up of Paul Powers, Blake Pieroni, James Jones and Townley Haas took the event in a time of 3:18.68.

Splits:

• Paul Powers – 50.14
• Blake Pieroni – 49.45
• James Jones – 50.06
• Townley Haas – 49.03

The Australians collected the silver in a time of 3:20.75 followed by the Canadians that won the bronze in a time of 2:22.98.

Japan finished fourth recording a time of 3:24.53 followed by China (3:28.48), New Zealand (3:28.97), Mexico (3:30.82) and the Fiji Islands (3:58.51).