2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2018 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 9 – Tuesday, August 14, 2018
• Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center, Tokyo, Japan
• Meet site
• Psych Sheet
• Start Lists
• Meet Results

Day 2 from the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo will feature just three events in the morning: the 100 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 100 backstroke. Tonight’s finals will also feature the women’s and men’s 4×200 freestyle relays.

Among the highlights in prelims will be Australian Cate Campbell in action in the women’s 100 freestyle after recording the fastest relay split in history on day 1 in the mixed medley relay (50.93). She is the meet record holder and defending champion, but will have to deal with the likes of Simone Manuel come the final (assuming both safely advance).

Manuel was a full 1.81 seconds slower than Campbell on the relay, but is still very much in the mix for gold as the reigning Olympic and World Champion in the event.

The men’s event is set up for a fantastic battle for gold depending on who advances to the final, with 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Chalmers and 2017 World Champion Caeleb Dressel the two big favorites, along with 2012 gold medalist and the 2010 Pan Pac champ Nathan Adrian.

In addition to the battle for the medals, the American men will jockey for position and vie for a spot individually at the 2019 World Championships. Right now Blake Pieroni (48.08) and Adrian (48.25) hold those two spots, and the likes of Dressel, Zach Apple and Townley Haas all need to ensure a second swim in the morning if they are to have a shot at swimming the event individually next summer.

Hali Flickinger leads a thin field (just ten swimmers) in the women’s 200 fly, and Americans Justin Wright, Jack Conger and Chase Kalisz will battle for A-final spots in the men’s event with Japan’s Nao Horomura and Daiya Seto premier medal threats come the final.

The 100 back will feature current world record holders Kathleen Baker and Ryan Murphy of the U.S., along with former record holder Kylie Masse of Canada. The women’s race will also feature Emily Seebohm, Olivia Smoliga, Regan Smith and Taylor Ruck. Ruck is coming off an upset gold medal win in the 200 freestyle, and will double in both this and the 100 free on day 2.

For the men, Murphy is expected to battle teammate Matt Grevers for gold, with Japan’s Ryosuke Irie and Australian Mitch Larkin the leading candidates for bronze. Irie (52.83) and Larkin (53.08) already gave us a glimpse of their form on the lead-off of the mixed medley relay.

Women’s 100 Free Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 52.62, Cate Campbell (AUS), 2014

1. Simone Manuel, USA, 53.23
2. Cate Campbell, AUS, 53.27
3. Mallory Comerford, USA, 53.30
4. Taylor Ruck, CAN, 53.34
5. Shayna Jack, AUS, 53.61
6. Emma McKeon, AUS, 53.97
7. Kayla Sanchez, CAN / Margo Geer, USA,  54.02
8. –
9. Kelsi Dahlia, USA, 54.09
10. Rikako Ikee, JPN / Katie McLaughlin, USA, 54.14
11. –
12. Madeline Groves, AUS, 54.18
13. Abbey Weitzeil, USA, 54.20
14. Allison Schmitt, USA, 54.53
15. Rebecca Smith, CAN, 54.54
16. Larissa Oliveira, BRA, 54.68

Simone Manuel paced the women’s 100 ree prelims in a time of 53.23, just ahead of Australian Cate Campbell (53.27) and teammate Mallory Comerford (53.30). Taylor Ruck was right there as well for 4th in 53.34.

Shayna Jack, Kayla Sanchez, Rikako Ikee and Larissa Oliveira also made the ‘A’ final, while Americans Margo Geer and Kelsi Dahlia will lead the ‘B’.

Men’s 100 Free Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 47.82, Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2014

1. Zach Apple, USA, 48.03
2. Caeleb Dressel, USA, 48.13
3. Blake Pieroni, USA, 48.21
4. Kyle Chalmers, AUS, 48.23
5. Pedro Spajari, BRA, 48.38
6. Jack Cartwright, AUS, 48.43
7. Marcelo Chierighini, BRA, 48.44
8. Nathan Adrian, USA, 48.47
9. Katsumi Nakamura, JPN, 48.56
10. Shinri Shioura, JPN, 48.68

Zach Apple continued to prove his ability to swim incredibly fast in the morning, producing a new personal best in 48.03 for the top seed heading into tonight’s final. Apple’s three fastest times ever have now all been done in a prelim.

Caeleb Dressel had his fastest swim of the year by nearly half a second for the 2nd seed in 48.13, edging out teammate Blake Pieroni (48.21) for a spot in the A-final. Australian Kyle Chalmers and Brazilian Pedro Spajari were next up, as we’re in for a stacked final with 8th seed Shinri Shioura of Japan a quick 48.68. The final will feature two Americans, two Australians, two Brazilians and two Japanese athletes.

Nathan Adrian had a strong swim but ended up back in 8th overall, clocking 48.47, and will join Pieroni in the B-final. In the first heat, Andrew Seliskar ripped a personal best of 48.99.

Women’s 200 Fly Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 2:05.40, Jessicah Schipper (AUS), 2006

1. Hali Flickinger, USA, 2:07.05
2. Katie Drabot, USA, 2:08.40
3. Sachi Mochida, JPN, 2:09.47
4. Suzuka Hasegawa, JPN, 2:09.73
5. Laura Taylor, AUS, 2:09.88
6. Danielle Hanus, CAN, 2:11.61
7. Mabel Zavaros, CAN, 2:12.97
8. Rosalee Santa Ana, PHI, 2:23.27

Hali Flickinger cruised to the top seed in the women’s 200 fly, clocking a time of 2:07.05 to lead teammate Katie Drabot (2:08.40) by 1.35 seconds. Flickinger swam a best time at U.S. Nationals in 2:05.87, ranking her 2nd in the world.

Japan’s Sachi Mochida and Suzuka Hasegawa sit 3rd and 4th in a very thin field as Australian Madeline Groves DFS’d which left only nine athletes competing.

Men’s 200 Fly Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 1:53.80, Michael Phelps (USA), 2006

1. Jack Conger, USA, 1:55.18
2. Zach Harting, USA, 1:55.28
3. Daiya Seto, JPN, 1:55.57
4. Leonardo de Deus, BRA, 1:55.99
5. Yuya Yajima, JPN, 1:56.16
6. Justin Wright, USA, 1:56.37
7. Mack Darragh, CAN, 1:57.10
8. David Morgan, AUS, 1:57.12
9. Nao Horomura, JPN, 1:57.16
10. Lewis Clareburt, NZL, 1:57.36

Jack Conger produced a season-best time by .03 to lead the men’s 200 fly prelims in a time of 1:55.18, just ahead of fellow American Zach Harting (1:55.28). Justin Wright, who won the U.S. National title in 1:54.63, was 6th overall in 1:56.37 and will be relegated to the B-final.

Daiya Seto of Japan and Leonardo de Deus of Brazil joined Conger and Harting in the 1:55s, and Yuya Yajima was 5th in 1:56.16 to knock one of the gold medal favorites Nao Horomura out of the A-final. Horomura is the 2nd fastest swimmer in the world this year with a time of 1:53.79, but was back in 9th overall in 1:57.16.

Women’s 100 Back Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 58.84, Emily Seebohm (AUS), 2014

1. Kylie Masse, CAN, 58.29
2. Kathleen Baker, USA, 58.41
3. Emily Seebohm, AUS, 58.79
4. Regan Smith, USA, 59.27
5. Natsumi Sakai, JPN, 59.45
6. Olivia Smoliga, USA, 59.47
7. Kaylee McKeown, AUS, 59.91
8. Anna Konishi, JPN, 1:00.30
9. Kennedy Goss, CAN, 1:00.93

In the first circle-seeded heat of the women’s 100 back it was Australian Emily Seebohm lowering her 2014 meet record in a time of 58.79. However, in the next heat former world record holder and reigning World Champion Kylie Masse threw down a 58.29, the 10th fastest swim in history, to take over the record and lower her season-best. Masse now owns six of the ten fastest swims in history.

Newly minted world record holder Kathleen Baker won the final heat in 58.41, as a fantastic battle for gold is set for finals, with potentially the first ever sub-58 swim incoming. Regan Smith (59.27) edged Olivia Smoliga (59.47) for the 2nd American spot in the final.

Taylor Ruck did not show for her heat after making the A-final of the 100 free.

Men’s 100 Back Prelims

• Pan Pac Record: 52.91, Matt Grevers (USA), 2014

1. Ryan Murphy, USA, 52.19
2. Matt Grevers, USA, 53.27
3. Ryosuke Irie, JPN, 53.68
4. Michael Andrew, USA / Justin Ress, USA , 53.69
5. –
6. Mitch Larkin, AUS, 53.73
7. Markus Thormeyer, CAN, 53.88
8. Jacob Pebley, USA, 53.96
9. Javier Acevedo, CAN, 54.13
10. Austin Katz, USA, 54.17
11. Masaki Kaneko, JPN, 54.27
12. Bradley Woodward, AUS, 54.36

Ryan Murphy was not messing around this morning, obliterating the Championship Record of 52.91 set four years ago by Matt Grevers in 52.19 to take the top seed into tonight’s final by over a second. Murphy already sat atop the world rankings with his 52.51 from Nationals, but brings that time down another three-tenths. His world record of 51.85 will be on watch tonight.

Grevers took 2nd in 53.27, ensuring him the second U.S. finals spot, as Michael Andrew and Justin Ress weren’t far back as they tied for 4th in 53.69. That’s a new lifetime best for Andrew, and they’ll swim the B-final tonight.

Ryosuke Irie (53.68) and Mitch Larkin (53.73) by all accounts left something in the tank this morning knowing they wouldn’t have any trouble advancing.