Two Championship Records Fall in Final Day of Prelims at Pan Pacs

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 20. DURING the final day of preliminary competition at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships, a pair of meet records fell throughout fourth-day of preliminary swims in Victoria, British Columbia on Sunday. World-record holder Brendan Hansen took down the 200 breast meet record, while Katie Hoff started the day with a meet record in the 200 IM.

Women’s 200-meter IM
Team USA claimed the top three spots during preliminary action in the 200 IM, while Katie Hoff erased a 13-year-old championship record with a 2:12.45 for the top qualifying time. That effort surpassed the 2:12.54 recorded by compatriot Alison Wagner in Japan on August 15, 1993.

After an initial butterfly split of 28.42, Hoff came back with a backstroke leg of 33.86. During the breaststroke, Hoff clocked a 38.46 before coming home with a 31.71 in the freestyle.

Meanwhile, Whitney Myers clocked a second-place 2:12.85, while Ariana Kukors logged a third-place 2:13.26. Depending on how much doubling occurs throughout the World Championship team selection process with Hoff qualifying in several events across the board, Kukors may have moved herself into contention for a berth on the squad as her 2:13.26 went under Kaitlin Sandeno’s 2:13.86 recorded at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships earlier this month.

Other swimmers in the top eight included Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry (4th/2:15.75), Australia’s Stephanie Rice (5th/2:16.38), United States’ Kathleen Hersey (6th/2:16.88), Australia’s Ashleigh McCleery (7th/2:16.90) and Japan’s Maiko Fujino (8th/2:17.05).

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Due to the meet’s two-per country rule for finals, the finals heat sheet will be as follows:
A Final
1 WILKINSON Julia 87 CAN 2:17.92
2 MCCLEERY Ashleigh 87 AUS 2:16.90
3 COVENTRY Kirsty 83 ZIM 2:15.75
4 HOFF Katie 89 USA 2:12.45
5 MYERS Whitney 84 USA 2:12.85
6 RICE Stephanie 88 AUS 2:16.38
7 FUJINO Maiko 83 JPN 2:17.05
8 YI TING Siow 85 MAS 2:17.95

B Final
1 KATO Izumi 90 JPN 2:18.89
2 NORFOLK Helen 81 NZL 2:18.35
3 REESE Shayne 82 AUS 2:18.09
4 KUKORS Ariana 89 USA 2:13.26
5 JUNG Ji Yeon 89 KOR 2:18.06
6 MARANHAO Joanna 87 BRA 2:18.28
7 LIU Jing 90 CHN 2:18.81
8 HORNER Stephanie 89 CAN 2:19.03

Men’s 200-meter IM
Michael Phelps held off a hard-charging Brian Johns of Canada for the top spot in the men’s 200 IM. In the end, Phelps stopped the clock in 2:00.30, while Johns hit the wall in 2:00.95 for the only sub-2:01 time of the morning prelims.

After the initial butterfly leg, Phelps looked up to see Johns ahead by a scant .05 as Johns touched in 26.41 against Phelps’ 26.46. Phelps, however, used the backstroke to take the lead at the halfway mark, 57.13 to 57.67. Phelps held on to the advantage after the breaststroke leg, 1:31.74 to 1:32.15, before bettering Johns by .65 at the final touch.

In other action, United States’ Ryan Lochte (3rd/2:01.08), Japan’s Ken Takakuwa (4th/2:01.19), Australia’s Leith Brodie (5th/2:01.32), Japan’s Hidemasa Sano (6th/2:01.79) and Australia’s Adam Lucas (7th/2:02.10) made up the next five swimmers, while Brazil’s Thiago Pereira and New Zealand’s Dean Kent tied for eighth with matching 2:02.72s.

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Due to the meet’s two-per country rule for finals, the finals heat sheet will be as follows:
A Final
1 LUCAS Adam 83 AUS 2:02.10
2 BRODIE Leith 86 AUS 2:01.32
3 LOCHTE Ryan 84 USA 2:01.08
4 PHELPS Michael 85 USA 2:00.30
5 JOHNS Brian 82 CAN 2:00.95
6 TAKAKUWA Ken 85 JPN 2:01.19
7 SANO Hidemasa 84 JPN 2:01.79
8 KENT Dean 78 NZL 2:02.72

B Final
1 ORIWOL Tobias 85 CAN 2:05.54
2 SCHULTZ Andre 88 BRA 2:04.48
3 NEDERPELT Travis 85 AUS 2:03.97
4 BEAVERS Keith 83 CAN 2:03.23
5 TANIGUCHI Shinya 81 JPN 2:03.31
6 SALATTA Lucas 87 BRA 2:04.15
7 KNOWLES Jeremy 81 BAH 2:05.03
8 MADWED Daniel 89 USA 2:08.18

Women’s 50-meter freestyle
The U.S. completely dominated morning competition in the women’s 50-meter freestyle with the top five spots. The American contingent included Natalie Coughlin qualifying first with a 25.30, while Kara Lynn Joyce touched just behind in 25.37 to earn spot in the championship final.

Meanwhile, Amanda Weir placed third in 25.40 to beat out Courtney Cashion’s fourth-place effort of 25.41. Both swimmers will compete in the consolation heat with the hard-luck performance of the event going to Lacey Nymeyer as her fifth-place 25.59 will not allow her to race in the evening finals due to the two-per country rule.

A trio of other swimmers joined the Americans in the top eight as Brazilians Rebecca Gusmao (6th/25.81) and Flavia Delaroli (7th/25.84) took the next two spots, while Australian Michelle Engelsman placed eighth in 25.86.

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Due to the meet’s two-per country rule for finals, the finals heat sheet will be as follows:
A Final
1 POON Victoria 84 CAN 26.06
2 ENGELSMAN Michelle 79 AUS 25.86
3 GUSMAO Rebeca 84 BRA 25.81
4 COUGHLIN Natalie 82 USA 25.30
5 JOYCE Kara Lynn 85 USA 25.37
6 DELAROLI Flavia 83 BRA 25.84
7 SCHLANGER Melanie 86 AUS 26.03
8 YAMADA Kaori 81 JPN 26.20

B Final
1 MITCHELL Seanna 88 CAN 26.48
2 COSTER Liz 82 NZL 26.41
3 KIM Dal Eun 90 KOR 26.26
4 WEIR Amanda 86 USA 25.40
5 BURGOS Renata 82 BRA 26.25
6 MCLEAN Hannah 81 NZL 26.26
7 WILSON Hannah Jane Arnett 89 HKG 26.41
8 MORNINGSTAR Erica 89 CAN 26.57

Men’s 50-meter freestyle
Cullen Jones continued his recent mastery of the 50 free with the top-qualifying time out of prelims of 22.14 to eclipse the 22.16 put on the board a heat earlier by South African Roland Schoeman, who recently set the 50 SCM freestyle world record at the Deutscher Ring Aquatics meet last weekend.

Meanwhile, four of the rest of the top eight came from the American sprint corps as Ben Wildman-Tobriner touched third in 22.45, with Gary Hall Jr. and Jason Lezak tying in fourth-place with matching 22.46s. Additionally, Neil Walker clocked a seventh-place 22.61 as the second straight event witnessed a top-eight American drop out of racing during the evening due to the two-per-country rule.

In other action, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo finished sixth in 22.54, while Trinidad and Tobago’s George Bovell placed eighth in 22.62.

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Due to the meet’s two-per country rule for finals, the finals heat sheet will be as follows:
A Final
1 SULLIVAN Eamon 85 AUS 22.64
2 BOVELL George 83 TRI 22.62
3 WILDMAN-TOBRINER Ben 84 USA 22.45
4 JONES Cullen 84 USA 22.14
5 SCHOEMAN Roland 80 RSA 22.16
6 CIELO Cesar 87 BRA 22.54
7 HAYDEN Brent 83 CAN 22.63
8 FERNS Lyndon 83 RSA 22.65

B Final
1 LUPIEN Yannick 80 CAN 23.26
2 ZANDBERG Gerhard 83 RSA 23.03
3 ITO Makoto 86 JPN 22.79
4 LEZAK Jason 75 USA 22.46
5 SAPUCAIA Marco 83 BRA 22.79
6 SANTOS Nicholas 80 BRA 22.92
7 SASAKI Takeru 85 JPN 23.24
8 SAY Rick 79 CAN 23.26

Women’s 200-meter breaststroke
While Team USA snared three of the top-eight times during prelims in the 200 breast, a pair of international swimmers posted the top two times. South African Suzann Van Biljon ripped through the event with a 2:27.76 to place well ahead of Japan’s Asami Kitagawa, who placed second out of prelims with a 2:28.48.

As for the Americans, Megan Jendrick finished third in 2:28.91, while Kristen Caverly took fourth in 2:28.98 and Tara Kirk, who won the event at USA Nationals, placed fifth in 2:29.45.

Other swimmers in the top eight included Korea’s Seul Ki Jung (6th/2:29.51), Australia’s Sarah Katsoulis (7th/2:31.10) and Korea’s Su Yeon Back (8th/2:31.48).

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Due to the meet’s two-per country rule for finals, the finals heat sheet will be as follows:
A Final
1 BACK Su Yeon 91 KOR 2:31.48
2 JUNG Seul Ki 88 KOR 2:29.51
3 JENDRICK Megan 84 USA 2:28.91
4 VAN BILJON Suzaan 88 RSA 2:27.76
5 KITAGAWA Asami 87 JPN 2:28.48
6 CAVERLY Kristen 84 USA 2:28.98
7 KATSOULIS Sarah 84 AUS 2:31.10
8 SALLI Chelsey 91 CAN 2:31.57

B Final
1 REILLY Jennifer 83 AUS 2:37.20
2 MIWA Yoshimi 85 JPN 2:34.96
3 YI TING Siow 85 MAS 2:33.01
4 KIRK Tara 82 USA 2:29.45
5 SUN Ye 89 CHN 2:32.64
6 STOODY Kathleen 82 CAN 2:33.70
7 BLACKBURN Lisa 71 CAN 2:35.61
8 CHEN Huijia 90 CHN 2:40.39

Men’s 200-meter breaststroke
A motivated Kosuke Kitajima of Japan pushed world-record holder Brendan Hansen during prelims by posting a meet-record 2:10.61 for the American to shoot for one heat later. Hansen did just that as he kept enough in the tank to surpass the newest championship record with a 2:10.37.

Notably, both times went under the record of 2:11.54 previously set by Australia’s Jim Piper in Yokohama, Japan on August 26, 2002.

Hansen knew exactly what it would take to record the top time as he took a .15 second lead on Kitajima’s time with a 29.20 at the 50-meter mark. He then touched with a 33.16 split to clock a 1:02.36 at the halfway point. After a 33.17 split to push his time to 1:35.53 and his lead to half-a-second at the 150-meter mark, Hansen shut it down a bit in the final 50 with a 34.84 split to touch in 2:10.37.

Japan also provided the Americans with some competition as both countries turned in a trio of top-eight performances. Japan’s Daisuke Kimura and Genki Imamura took fourth and fifth with times of 2:12.56 and 2:12.84, respectively. Meanwhile, United States’ Scott Usher and Eric Shanteau placed second and fifth with times of 2:12.04 and 2:12.84, respectively.

Canada’s Michael Brown (7th/2:13.42) and South Africa’s William Diering (8th/2:13.60) rounded out the top eight in the event.

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Due to the meet’s two-per country rule for finals, the finals heat sheet will be as follows:
A Final
1 RICKARD Brenton 83 AUS 2:13.90
2 BROWN Michael 84 CAN 2:13.42
3 USHER Scott 83 USA 2:12.04
4 HANSEN Brendan 81 USA 2:10.37
5 KITAJIMA Kosuke 82 JPN 2:10.61
6 KIMURA Daisuke 81 JPN 2:12.56
7 DIERING William 86 RSA 2:13.60
8 VERSFELD Neil 85 RSA 2:16.04

B Final
1 DICKENS Scott 84 CAN 2:20.73
2 SNYDERS Glenn 87 NZL 2:18.97
3 SIN Su Jong 88 KOR 2:17.51
4 IMAMURA Genki 82 JPN 2:12.84
5 SHANTEAU Eric 83 USA 2:12.84
6 BARBOSA Henrique 84 BRA 2:17.99
7 BOIS Mathieu 88 CAN 2:19.00
8 WANG Wei-Wen 86 TPE 2:20.89

Results for the slower heats of distance events are as follows with this evening’s heat sheets after that:

Women’s 800-meter freestyle
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Heat Sheet:
1 WILLIAMS Stephanie 89 AUS 8:34.75
2 GORMAN Melissa 85 AUS 8:30.79
3 SHIBATA Ai 82 JPN 8:27.86
4 PEIRSOL Hayley 85 USA 8:26.45
5 ZIEGLER Kate 88 USA 8:27.65
6 YAMADA Sachiko 82 JPN 8:28.07
7 REIMER Brittany 88 CAN 8:33.36
8 KÖBRICH Kristel 85 CHI 8:41.39

Men’s 1500-meter freestyle
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Heat Sheet:
1 DOKI Kenichi 88 JPN 15:17.03
2 MATSUDA Takeshi 84 JPN 15:13.39
3 HURD Andrew 82 CAN 15:09.44
4 PARK Tae Hwan 89 KOR 15:00.32
5 VENDT Erik 81 USA 15:05.40
6 PRINSLOO Troyden 85 RSA 15:11.88
7 VANDERKAAY Peter 84 USA 15:14.30
8 COCHRANE Ryan 88 CAN 15:21.94

Also being contested during finals will be a pair of 400-meter medley relays.

Women:
1 Hong Kong HKG 4:16.90
2 Japan JPN 4:06.85
3 Canada CAN 4:05.95
4 Australia AUS 3:56.30
5 United States USA 3:58.34
6 New Zealand NZL 4:06.03
7 Korea KOR 4:12.92
8 Chinese Taipei TPE 4:19.69

Men:
HEAT 1/ 2
Timed Final
3 Chinese Taipei TPE 3:49.88
4 Brazil BRA 3:43.53
5 Korea KOR 3:46.34
HEAT 2/ 2
Timed Final
2 South Africa RSA 3:40.00
3 Japan JPN 3:35.22
4 United States USA 3:31.54
5 Australia AUS 3:34.37
6 Canada CAN 3:39.87
7 New Zealand NZL 3:40.76

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