Streamlined News: Recapping Jr. Pan Pacs, Jose Finkel Meet; Missy Franklin at US Open; Diving News from Cook and Boudia


PHOENIX, Arizona, August 27. THE future of swimming was on display this weekend in Hawaii at the junior Pan Pacific championships, where Jack Conger, Chase Kalisz, Akihiro Yamaguchi and others showed that they want to be the names to watch in the next four years.

Akihiro Yamaguchi, just 18 years old, turned some heads at the Japan Inter-high school championships, swimming a 2:07.8 in the 200 breast, a time that would have won bronze at the Olympics. Yamaguchi swam a 2:08.03 yesterday in Hawaii, coming within two hundredths of a second of Eric Shanteau's US Open record of 2:08.01 from 2009. The US Open record is the fastest time swum in the 50 United States, regardless of nationality, and based on preliminary research, would have been the first US Open record set in Hawaii. Yamaguchi also swam a 59.85 in the 100 breast, just a couple of tenths slower than the time he swam at the Inter-high school meet.

Jack Conger won three individual events in Hawaii: the 100 and 200 back, as well as the 50 free. Conger's 200 back time of 1:57.2 in the 200 back on Saturday was a personal best and would have moved him up one spot at the Olympic Trials, from fifth to fourth.

Chase Kalisz was on fire in the individual medleys this weekend, winning both in lifetime best times. His 400 IM time of 4:12.59 makes him the fourth-fastest American in the event this year and his 200 IM time of 1:59.51 dropped his best time by a tenth of a second.

On the women's side, Becca Mann and Allie Szekely were a little bit off their superb swims from earlier this summer, but saved the best for last. Mann won the 1500 freestyle in 16:11.98 to break the 28-year-old national age group record for the 13-14 age group set in 1984 by Michele Richardson. Szekely swam a 2:27.86 in the B final of the 200 breast, about a second slower than she swam at the junior nationals earlier this month.

You can read all our recaps from the meet by going to swimmingworld.com.

The Brazilians wrapped up an impressive meet at the Jose Finkel championships last weekend as well. In addition to his swift 20.5 in the 50 free from the start of the meet, Cesar Cielo added the 100 free win with a 45.91, not far off the time he swam to win the event at the 2010 short course world championships. Cielo will now head to short course worlds to defend his sprint freestyle titles in December. Cielo will also likely swim the 50 fly in Turkey after placing second on Saturday to Nicholas dos Santos.

Thiago Pereira had a great meet as well, winning all three individual medley events. He posted lifetime best times in the 100 and 200 IM, which were also Brazilian and South American records. Pereira did not compete at the 2010 short course worlds, but could be one to watch in Turkey after a very good Olympics in which he won silver in the 400 IM.

You can read more about what happened in Brazil by reading our recaps at swimmingworld.com.

Missy Franklin had a busy weekend in New York City, doing an interview on the “Today” show in which she announced an upcoming cameo in a film starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. Swimming World has learned that Franklin will be filming the cameo in September. Franklin's primary reason for visiting the Big Apple was the Arthur Ashe Kids' Day event at the site of the US Open tennis championships. Franklin got to meet Carly Rae Jepsen, the artist behind “Call Me Maybe,” for the first time since the USA Swimming video featuring the song went viral. She participated in a celebrity tennis match with US Open champion Novak Djokovic and took part in the flash mob performance of “Call Me Maybe” at the end.

Kassidy Cook didn't make the Olympic diving team, but she's already got her sights on London, choosing to attend Stanford University next year. Cook will train there with Olympic medalist Kristian Ipsen, who is a springboard specialist like Cook, under the guidance of coach Rick Schavonne.

And speaking of divers, recently David Boudia told reporters that he wants to compete in gymnastics for the USA in 2016. Specifically, he wants to compete in the vault exercise. Boudia was a gymnast before he became a diver, so it wouldn't take much to get back into that groove, but there are lots of established gymnasts to, pun intended, vault over to make the Olympic team in four years. He also said he will continue diving, but is thinking about moving down to the three-meter springboard individually while keeping the synchro platform on his program. Boudia is taking a four-month break and said he'll use that time to consider all options.

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