Lane 9 News Archive: <i>Swimming World</i> Honors 2008 Pacific Rim Swimmers of the Year

Swimming World Honors 2008 Pacific Rim Swimmers of the Year -- November 28, 2008

PHOENIX, Arizona, November 28. HEADING into the weekend, when Swimming World will announce the American and Swimmers Choice awards before honoring the World Swimmers of the Year on Dec. 1, we are proud to announce this year's Pacific Rim Swimmers of the Year. These awards are the center piece of our celebratory December issue of Swimming World Magazine.

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Australia's Stephanie Rice and Japan's Kosuke Kitajima earned their respective 2008 Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year honors.

FEMALE
1. STEPHANIE RICE, Australia
2. Libby Trickett, Australia
3. Leisel Jones, Australia
4. Liu Zige, China
5. Jessicah Schipper, Australia

Rice kept the Female Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year award under the Australian banner for the 12th consecutive year with an incredible 2008. She held off challenges from Libby Trickett and Leisel Jones, as her compatriots both attempted to dislodge her as the regions best. Rice finished her amazing year with world records in the 200 IM (2:08.45) and 400 IM (4:29.45). She also won three gold medals in Beijing with victories in both IMs and the 800 freestyle relay.

MALE
1. KOSUKE KITAJIMA, Japan
2. Tae Hwan Park, Korea
3. Eamon Sullivan, Australia
4. Grant Hackett, Australia
5. Zhang Lin, China

Kitajima made history in 2008 as he became the first swimmer – male or female – to ever put together an Olympic double-double in the breaststroke events by sweeping the 100 and 200 in concurrent Olympiads. That performance also defended Kitajima's Male Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year award from 2007. The victory also is Asia's third straight title after being almost exclusively an Australian-based award since its inception. In Beijing, Kitajima created the 58 club in the 100 breast with a time of 58.91, while also winning the 200 breast in 2:07.64 after setting the world record at the Japan Open with a 2:07.51. Kitajima also led Japan to a bronze medal in the 400 medley relay with a 58.07 breaststroke split.

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Reaction Time Comments

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November 28, 2008 Wouldn't Popov's Barcelona and Atlanta doubles in the 50-100 Free be considered a double-double?
Submitted by: dunc1952

November 28, 2008 Thanks, Duncan. Got a little sloppy with my English in my post-Thanksgiving dinner haze this morning.

The article in the December issue has the correct verbiage, and I've just updated this article.
Submitted by: Jason Marsteller

November 29, 2008 Phelps has also had TWO double-doubles (Flys and IMs in Athens and Beijing).
Submitted by: SwimDER94

November 29, 2008 Thanks, Jason. Keep up the good and interesting work!
Submitted by: dunc1952

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