Hoff Grabs First U.S. Gold of Pan Pacs in 200 Free

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 17. KATIE Hoff grabbed the United States its first gold of the meet with a triumph in the 200-meter freestyle at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships on Thursday.

The American hit the wall in 1:58.02 to finish half a second off the meet-record time of 1:57.48 set by Claudia Poll in 1997.

"Every time you go a best time and win on the first night, it is just amazing," Hoff said. "I take one race at a time and focus on it, then I move on."

Meanwhile, Australia bumped its medal count to two as Linda MacKenzie (1:58.26) and Bronte Barratt (1:58.59) closed out the podium in the event.

While Hoff may have shut it down a bit during the final 50 meters, she never allowed much doubt of her conquest in the event as she built nearly a second lead heading into the final 50-meter stretch.

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