2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships: Valente a tenth off Junior World record in day 3 prelims

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)

 Girls 400 Free

Australia’s Tamsin Cook took the top spot in the girls 400 free out of the final circle-seeded heat. Cook was 4:12.38 to come in just ahead of the top two Americans, Courtney Harnish (4:13.15) and Madison Homovich (4:13.57). The third American, Sierra Schmidt, gets bumped to the B final despite finishing fourth in 4:14.04. That leaves a young American crew in the final, as both Harnish and Homovich are just 14.

Fourth seed into tonight’s final is Sacha Downing, another Australia, who was 4:14.32 this morning. Japan’s Chinatsu Sato was 4:14.85 for the next seed, and will be followed into the final by two Canadians, Alexandra Aitchison (4:15.42) and Sophia Saroukian (4:20.10).

In that dropoff between the Canadians are a couple swimmers bumped out of the final: Australia’s third, Moesha Johnson, moves to the B with a 4:17.07 while Americans Leah Stevens (4:16.43), Isabella Rongione (4:18.83) and Katie Drabot (4:19.86) will miss both finals altogether.

Probable A finalists:

1. Tamsin Cook, AUS, 4:12.38
2. Courtney Harnish, USA, 4:13.15
3. Madison Homovich, USA, 4:13.57
4. Sacha Downing, AUS, 4:14.32
5. Chinsatsu Sato, JPN, 4:14.85
6. Alexandra Aitchison, CAN, 4:15.42
7. Sophia Saroukian, CAN, 4:20.10
8. Miho Nakayama, JPN, 4:20.14

Boys 400 Free

In a tough boys 400 free, the top incoming seed actually missed the final, with two teammates puling out great swims in prelims. That top seed was Townley Haas, who won the final heat with a 3:53.19, but was bumped to the consols because his two teammates busted out 3:52s one heat earlier.

Liam Egan just touched out Aidan Burns for the second-to-last heat win, as both boys ran down the early leader Jacob Hansford of Australia. Those three will be the top seeds into finals, with Egan’s 3:52.35 leading the way. Burns was 3:52.51, a lifetime-best, and Hansford fell back to a 3:57.26 for third with Haas sent to the B heat.

Canada’s Tristan Cote was 3:57.59 and the second Australian was Joshua Parrish at 3:57.65.

Japan’s Fuyu Yoshida gets into the A final with a 3:59.33. Just behind him was Damian Fyfe, who joins Haas in the B heat as the third Aussie. Canada’s Peter Brothers and China’s Yongwei Li round out the championship heat.

Probable A finalists:

1. Liam Egan, USA, 3:52.35
2. Aidan Burns, USA, 3:52.35
3. Jacob Hansford, AUS, 3:57.26
4. Tristan Cote, CAN, 3:57.59
5. Joshua Parrish, AUS, 3:57.65
6. Fuyu Yoshida, JPN, 3:59.33
7. Peter Brothers, CAN, 3:59.67
8. Yongwei Li, CHN, 4:00.64

Girls 100 Fly

Japan’s youngster Suzuka Hasegawa is the top seed in the girls 100 fly. Born in 2000 – which makes her just 13 or 14 years old – Hasegawa went 59.64, which is actually a tenth or so off from her seed time. Behind her tonight is Australia’s Christina Licciardi, one of the oldest swimmers at this meet, who went 59.90.

Those two were the only ones under a minute in prelims, but there are plenty of ladies close to the barrier. American Hannah Kukurugya is the next-closest, going 1:00.30 this morning. She’s followed closely by Canada’s Jacomie Strydom (1:00.45), fellow American Cassidy Bayer (1:00.53) and Japan’s Rikako Ikee (1:00.85), another young swimmer born in 2000.

American Kara Kopcso was just ahead of Ikee at 1:00.70, but drops to the B final thanks to her two faster teammates.

China’s Yutong Song went 1:00.98 to get into the final, and Lili Margitai is the last swimmer in, at 1:01.69 for Canada. Margitai gets in because Japan’s third swimmer Haruno Ito (1:01.38) is back in the B.

Probable A finalists:

1. Suzuka Hasegawa, JPN, 59.64
2. Christina Licciardi, AUS, 59.90
3. Hannah Kukurugya, USA, 1:00.30
4. Jacomie Strydom, CAN, 1:00.45
5. Cassidy Bayer, USA, 1:00.53
6. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 1:00.85
7. Yutong Song, CHN, 1:00.98
8. Lili Margitai, CAN, 1:01.69

Boys 100 Fly

The 100 fly was probably the strongest event for the senior men at Pan Pacs, and the juniors appear to be living up to that tradition. The Americans went 1-2-3 this morning, with leader Alex Valente scaring the meet record and the Junior World Record with a 52.61.

In another of the odd quirks surrounding these Junior World Records, the meet record is actually faster than the world record in this event. Both are held by Daniel Bell of New Zealand. In 2009 at Junior Pan Pacs, he went 52.37 to set the meet record, but his Junior World Championships meet record is 52.52. FINA is using those World Junior meet records as their “benchmark” times to set an official world record, so if Valente can cut a tenth tonight, he can officially set the Junior World Record.

Second is 200 fly WJR-breaker Andrew Seliskar, who went 53.04, not far off the record himself. Meanwhile 15-year-old Michael Andrew was 53.57, and though he’ll be bumped to the B final, he’s still just .8 off breaking his first U.S. National Age Group record in the 15-16 division.

Yuya Yajima of Japan slides up to third in Andrew’s absence. Yajima was 53.88, and is probably the only one who could upset the American 1-2 tonight.

Bradlee Ashby out of New Zealand was 54.49, and he’s followed closely by Nicolaas Dekker of Canada (54.54), Yuya Sakamoto of Japan (54.66) and Dominic Richardson of Australia (54.93).

Probable A finalists:

1. Alex Valente, USA, 52.61
2. Andrew Seliskar, USA, 53.04
3. Yuya Yajima, JPN, 53.88
4. Bradlee Ashby, NZL, 54.49
5. Nicolaas Dekker, CAN, 54.54
6. Yuya Sakamoto, AUS, 54.66
7. Dominic Richardson, AUS, 54.93
8. Mateo Gonzalez Medina, MEX, 55.03

Girls 200 back

Following that dominating performance by the American men, the Japanese women fired right back with a 1-2-3 of their own in the girls 200 back. Rika Yuhara leads the way at 2:13.45, but just hundredths back is Rio Shirai at 2:13.53. Natsumi Sakai put up the third-fastest time but will head the B final at 2:14.91.

Just a tick back of Sakai is Australia’s Monique Rae (2:14.97), but she’ll have her work cut out for her to catch the two Japanese finalists tonight. Rae was over two seconds slower than her seed time, though, so the potential is certainly there.

Canada’s Mackenzie Glover was 2:15.03 and sits fourth. South Korea adds another rare finalist, with Dalin Lee going 2:15.17 for the fifth seed. Lee also made the A final of the 100 back and finished 11th in the 100 free.

Danielle Galyer is the lone American entrant into the A final, after going 2:16.12. The other two finals slots go to Minna Atherton of Australia and Heather Lam of Canada.

Probable A finalists:

1. Rika Yuhara, JPN, 2:13.45
2. Rio Shirai, JPN, 2:13.53
3. Monique Rae, AUS, 2:14.97
4. Mackenzie Glover, CAN, 2:15.03
5. Dalin Lee, KOR, 2:15.17
6. Danielle Galyer, USA, 2:16.12
7. Minna Atherton, AUS, 2:18.16
8. Heather Lam, CAN, 2:18.59

Boys 200 Back

And the American boys answer right back with another 1-2-3, giving them sweeps of the top three spots in the last two events of the day. Connor Green leads the 200 back by a longshot, going 1:59.19 this morning. That’s still a second and a half off his seed, so watch for him to challenge for Jack Conger‘s meet record of 1:57.20 tonight.

Corey Okubo is the second seed at 2:01.74. That’s a good outcome for Okubo, who’s been left on the outside of the final at this meet before. Taking that B final spot in this event is Curtis Ogren, who was 2:02.09.

Moving up to third is Canada’s Anders Klein, who went 2:02.85 in prelims. Australia’s Peter Mills was 2:03.02 before the second Canadian, Markus Thormeyer, came in at 2:03.87.

Mexico gets another finalist tonight with Andy Xianyang Song An‘s 2:04.66, and New Zealand joins the party with Andrew Trembath’s 2:05.60.

Peter Brothers is the third Canadian and gets locked out with Ogren. Brothers was 2:05.88. Along with those two is American Brendan Casey, who was just ahead of Brothers at 2:05.37, but gets slid to an outside lane as the fourth American in an event where only 17 swimmers competed. Canada will get 2 swimmers into the B final tonight, while the U.S. gets 3, since there aren’t enough different nations represented to fill both heats.

Probable A finalists:

1. Connor Green, USA, 1:59.19
2. Corey Okubo, USA, 2:01.74
3. Anders Klein, CAN, 2:02.85
4. Peter Mills, AUS, 2:03.02
5. Markus Thormeyer, CAN, 2:03.87
6. Andy Xianyang Song An, MEX, 2:04.66
7. Andrew Trembath, NZL, 2:05.60
8. Juran Mizohata, JPN, 2:08.10