USA Comes Storming Back on Day 2 of Pan Pacs, Wins 4 Golds, 5 Silvers

By Stephen J. Thomas

YOKOHAMA, Japan, August 25. THE Aussies might have thought they had done a good job on Day One, but Team USA matched them tonight with gold going to Phelps, Coughlin, Beard and Munz. Then add silver to Vendt, Kirk, Hansen, Benko and Jensen.

Men's 400 Individual Medley
The USA's latest swimming sensation, Michael Phelps, looked a sure thing to go under his world record tonight after clocking an easy 4:13.27 in the prelims. Like most things in life, however, there are very few certainties. Phelps when out fast tonight and was under his world record pace after the first two legs (fly 55.49 to 55.97 / back 1:58.95 to 1:59.38). Then into the turn of the breaststroke leg he appeared to tighten up a little and Trojan's Erik Vendt moved up and then marginally in front of Phelps as they turned into the free (Vendt 3:14.23 to Phelps 3:14.63). As has been the case at the USA Summer Nationals, Phelps came back to turn in front and go on to touch the pads first in a new championship record 4:12.48. Vendt clocked 4:13.15 with Japan's Takahiro Mori taking the bronze in 4:16.35. Phelps said after the race, "I wanted to break the world record but you can't always get what you want, so I'll go back to the drawing board."

Men's 100 Breaststroke
Local hero Kosuke Kitajima brought the home crowd to their feet when he looked a chance to take the world record coming down the home straight he tired but just a little, to touch in 1:00.36, just off the 1:00.34 in the semis. Circle C's Brendan Hansen took silver in an excellent 1:00.84 (just outside his PR 1:00.81) with Aussie Jim Piper taking the bronze in 1:01.68. Auburn's Mark Gangloff finished fourth in 1:02.02.

Men's 800 Freestyle
In the absence of world record-holder, Ian Thorpe, a fit Grant Hackett was not going to have any trouble with this field. He went out very fast, under world record splits until the 300-meter mark then dropped back to within one second until the last 200 meters where he appeared to cruise to the finish, perhaps with tomorrow's 200 free final and the 1500 at the end of the meet in mind. Hackett touched in 7:44.78 a new championship record and the fifth fastest all-time performance over the distance. Americans Chris Thompson and Larsen Jensen battled with Aussie Craig Stevens for the minor medals. Stevens held second for the early stages ahead of Thompson and Jensen.

Jensen, the 16-year-old Californian, moved past both men into the second half of the race to take silver in an American record 7:52.05 (seventh all-time performer), breaking the oldest American men's record. Thompson just held out Stevens in the battle for bronze 7:56.69 to 7:56.86.

Women's 100 butterfly
It was always going to be a three-way battle – the Yanks, Jenny Thompson, the championship record-holder, and new kid on the block Natalie Coughlin, versus Aussie world champ Petria Thomas.

It was Thompson who made the running turning in 26.92, Coughlin second (27.58) and Thomas third (27.78). Did Thompson have the gas to hold in the second half?

Unfortunately not tonight, first Coughlin went past with Thomas coming on strong on her shoulder. Coughlin got there first in yet another PR, breaking JT's championship record in a swift 57.88, moving her to fifth all-time performer and past Mary T's best on the American list. Thomas came home powerfully but the wall was too close this time round. She touched in 58.11 with Thompson tiring to finish in 58.64.

Coughlin was naturally very happy with her performance and felt she came off the wall well and finished strongly. Thompson said after her race she was happy to take a medal, given she has had only nine weeks of training under her belt. "I went out a little hard and I felt like I only had 75-meters in me at the moment."

Women's 100 Breaststroke
Irvine's Amanda Beard won a hard fought race coming from fourth on the turn to hold her form to beat Stanford's promising Tara Kirk and China's Luo Xuejuan, the fastest qualifier. Beard clocked 1:08.22 not far off her 1996 PR and Olympic silver-winning swim from Atlanta – 1:08.09. "My aim was to get under that time in the final but I just missed and now I will focus on another good performance in the 200 in two days," she said.

Kirk finished in 1:08.66, after clocking a PR 1:08.13 in the heats, to touch out Luo (1:08.70). Aussie Olympic silver medalist, Leisel Jones was a close fourth in 1:08.76.

Women's 400 Freestyle
Diana Munz proved she could handle the shorter distance only one day after taking gold in the 1500. The Lake Erie swimmer led from start to finish to touch in 4:09.50 with Trojan Lindsay Benko making a little impression on her teammate at the finish to take silver in 4:10.28.

Japan's Sachiko Yamada, silver medalist in the 1500, added bronze to her collection in a time of 4:10.79.

PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Yokohama, Japan
August 24-29

DAY TWO: August 25, 2002

Semifinals and Finals Results

Event 21 800m Freestyle Men Timed Final

Ranking Results

WR 7:39.16 Ian THORPE AUS 2001/07/24 FUKUOKA
GR 7:50.28 Daniel KOWALSKI AUS 1995/08/10 ATLANTA