Tyler Clary Keeps U.S. Unblemished Mark Intact in 200 Back (Pan Pacific Championships Results)

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

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GOLD COAST, Australia, August 23.

The U.S. has never lost the men’s 200-meter backstroke at the Pan Pacific Championships, and Tyler Clary made sure it didn’t happen on his watch as he held off Japan’s Ryosuke Irie, 1:54.91 to 1:55.14, for the win. Neither time is the best for either swimmer this year, but tonight it was just about getting your hand on the wall first.

Clary came up just off his third-ranked 1:54.73 from U.S. Nationals, while Irie was not able to repeat his world-leading 1:53.91 from Japanese Nationals as he settled for silver.

The surprise on the podium went to Mitch Larkin, who took third in 1:55.27. That’s just off his 1:55.26 from the Australian Nationals, but the podium initially seemed to favor Japan’s Kosuke Hagino being in the top three. Hagino ranks second in the world with a 1:54.23 from Japanese Nationals, but faded badly tonight as he took eighth in 1:59.86.

USA’s Ryan Murphy (1:56.17), Australia’s Josh Beaver (1:57.70), Brazil’s Leonardo de Deus (1:57.78) and New Zealand’s Corey Main (1:59.63) were also part of the top eight.

A Final Results:

 1 CLARY, TYLER     25 UNITED STATES     1:56.45    1:54.91C  923  
    r:+0.55  27.68        56.94 (29.26)
        1:26.21 (29.27)     1:54.91 (28.70)
  2 IRIE, RYOSUKE    24 JAPAN             1:55.10    1:55.14C  918  
    r:+0.53  27.22        56.18 (28.96)
        1:25.73 (29.55)     1:55.14 (29.41)
  3 LARKIN, MITCHEL  21 AUSTRALIA         1:56.86    1:55.27   915  
    r:+0.53  27.12        56.37 (29.25)
        1:26.00 (29.63)     1:55.27 (29.27)
  4 MURPHY, RYAN     19 UNITED STATES     1:55.73    1:56.17   894  
    r:+0.76  27.73        57.14 (29.41)
        1:26.11 (28.97)     1:56.17 (30.06)
  5 BEAVER, JOSH     21 AUSTRALIA         1:57.52    1:57.70   859  
    r:+0.58  27.66        57.77 (30.11)
        1:28.02 (30.25)     1:57.70 (29.68)
  6 DE DEUS, LEONAR  23 BRAZIL            1:59.60    1:57.78   858  
    r:+0.64  27.61        57.35 (29.74)
        1:27.71 (30.36)     1:57.78 (30.07)
  7 MAIN, COREY      19 NEW ZEALAND       1:59.85    1:59.63   818  
    r:+0.55  27.81        58.29 (30.48)
        1:28.76 (30.47)     1:59.63 (30.87)
  8 HAGINO, KOSUKE   20 JAPAN             1:56.94    1:59.86   814  
    r:+0.60  27.88        58.19 (30.31)
        1:28.99 (30.80)     1:59.86 (30.87)

Japan’s Hayate Matsubara cruised to victory in the B final with a 1:57.94, off his 16th-ranked 1:57.13 from the Japan Open earlier this year. No one else came within two seconds of the Japanese swimmer.

Brazil’s Fabio Santi (2:00.17), Australia’s Matson Lawson (2:00.49), Canada’s Russell Wood (2:00.76), South Africa’s Richard Ellis (2:02.93), Canada’s Joe Byram (2:03.57) and South Africa’s Michael Meyer (2:03.77) also competed in the consolation heat.

B Final Results:

  1 MATSUBARA, HAYATE      22 JAPAN               1:58.27    1:57.94
     r:+0.52     27.44          56.97 (29.53)
        1:27.24 (30.27)       1:57.94 (30.70)
  2 SANTI, FABIO           25 BRAZIL              2:00.58    2:00.17
     r:+0.55     28.10          58.44 (30.34)
        1:29.38 (30.94)       2:00.17 (30.79)
  3 LAWSON, MATSON         22 AUSTRALIA           2:00.60    2:00.49
     r:+0.61     27.99          58.18 (30.19)
        1:29.33 (31.15)       2:00.49 (31.16)
  4 WOOD, RUSSELL          20 CANADA              2:01.43    2:00.76
     r:+0.61     28.30          59.11 (30.81)
        1:30.16 (31.05)       2:00.76 (30.60)
  5 ELLIS, RICHARD         26 SOUTH AFRICA        2:02.40    2:02.93
     r:+0.66     28.33          59.69 (31.36)
        1:31.23 (31.54)       2:02.93 (31.70)
  6 BYRAM, JOE             20 CANADA              2:05.48    2:03.57
     r:+0.69     28.81          59.66 (30.85)
        1:31.53 (31.87)       2:03.57 (32.04)
  7 MEYER, MICHAEL         21 SOUTH AFRICA        2:02.89    2:03.77
     r:+0.66     29.35        1:00.95 (31.60)
        1:32.90 (31.95)       2:03.77 (30.87)

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