Para Pan Pacs: Day 1 Finals Recap

An incredible start to day one of the Para Pan Pacs here in Pasadena, California at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, where we witnessed four world records fall.  After a great start to the competition this morning during prelims, we knew finals would garner some close races, but the excitement only heightened as the finals session went on.

Ian Silverman of the United States broke the men’s S10 400m Freestyle world record in a time of 4:03.57.  A record that had been standing for 13 years, Silverman just 18 years of age was just a young boy when Philippe Gagnon of Canada swam his world record time of 4:04.20 in 1991.  A record that many have tried to challenge, even Silverman himself gave it a good run at the London 2012 Games, however, it wasn’t until tonight that the 13 year old record fell, to an ever so determined Silverman.

Then there are the two stand out women’s S14s from Australia who although had their own show down in the 200m Freestyle this evening, each brought home their own respective world records.  Kayla Clarke broke the S14 100m Butterfly world record time after winning the 200m Freestyle to start the evening out in a neck-to-neck finish between her and teammate Taylor Corry.  Clarke won the 200m Freestyle with a time of 2:14.75 and Corry came in to claim silver just behind in a 2:14.87.  Although, Corry had an impressive performance in the S14 50m Freestyle where she broke the World Record with a time of 28.36.

After an exciting prelims this morning watching Roy Perkins and Daniel Dias race in separate heats, it was a rush seeing them go head to head tonight in the finals of the S5 50m Butterfly.  Perkins came within .20 of Dias World Record clocking a time of 34.35 and seeding him first going into tonight’s finals.  However, after an incredibly exciting race between Dias and Perkins, Dias of Brazil touched out Perkins of the United States with a time of 33.98 and breaking his world record time of 34.15, while Perkins came in second with a 34.24.  Dias and Perkins have a history now the past two years of trading the gold medal slot, as Dias won gold at the London 2012 Games, and Perkins won gold at World Championships last summer in Montreal.  The question now will be will Dias continue to hold onto that gold medal slot, or will Perkins go after it at next summers World Championships in Glasgow?

The world records however were not the only excitement of tonight’s finals.  The Australian men swept the podium in the S9 400m Freestyle with current world record holder Branden Hall coming in for the gold in a 4:11.78 and teammates Rowan Crothers and Timothy Disken coming in for the silver and bronze respectfully.

There were two more sweeps of the podium tonight, however, those two went to the United States women, in both the S9 50m Freestyle and the S13 50m Freestyle.  In the S9 50m Freestyle Michelle Konkoly came in for her first ever-gold medal, as this is her first appearance on Team USA, with a time of 29.40 while teammates Hannah Aspden and Lizzi Smith had a close finish for silver and bronze.  Smith clocked a 30.27 for silver just .20 of a second ahead of Aspden who came in at 30.47.  In the S13 50m Freestyle Martha Ruether grabbed the gold with a time of 28.58 while teammate Becca Meyers came in for silver at a 28.63 and Colleen Young at a 28.80 for bronze.

Becca Meyers unfortunately did not break the world record we were all anticipating in the S13 100m Butterfly but she did come within .04 of the 18-year-old record time of 1:05.95.  Although she just nearly missed it don’t be surprised if we see 19-year-old Meyers claim that record as her own in the near future.

It was an absolutely incredible start to the competition and day one definitely set the standard for the remainder of the week, but don’t be surprised if we continue to see more records fall.  For now, the world record count is at four and counting.