Late last month USA Swimming published its updated competition plan for the 2017-2020 quad, which lays out the major competitions for USA Swimming over the next four years leading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. One of the most anticipated international competitions falling in the year 2018 is the next edition of the Pan Pacific Championships, the multinational event held in the second year after each Summer Olympic Games.
The 2014 Pan Pacific Games were held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, where the United States topped the overall medal count with 43, followed by Australia’s 28 and Japan’s 19. Brazil, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand and China were also among the nations participating in the event.
For 2018, a maximum team size of 30 men and women for pool and open water swimming will be determined for each nation, with countries able to enter an unlimited number of swimmers in the heats of each event. As in the past, in events where A and B Finals are conducted, only 2 swimmers per nation will be allowed to qualify for the A final.
The 2018 edition of the Pan Pacific Championships will be held at Tokyo Tatsumi International Swim School from August 9th through August 13th. The official website, www.panpacs2018.com, is now available to the public, with general competition information available at this time. The specific event schedule is still to be determined at this point.