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
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 2 5 Grant HACKETT AUS 80 7:44.78 CR (0.75)
2 2 2 Larsen JENSEN USA 85 7:52.05 (0.75)
3 2 4 Chris THOMPSON USA 78 7:56.69 (0.87)
4 2 7 Craig STEVENS AUS 80 7:56.86 (0.87)
5 2 3 Shunichi FUJITA JPN 82 8:01.97 (0.86)
6 2 6 Takeshi MATSUDA JPN 84 8:11.22 (0.82)
7 2 1 Kurtis MACGILLIVARY CAN 84 8:12.27 (0.86)
8 1 4 Bruno BONFIM BRA 79 8:27.10 (0.77)
9 2 8 Kwok Leung CHUNG HKG 84 8:36.77 (0.77)
Event 22 400m Individual Medley Men Finals
Ranking Results
WR 4:11.09 Michael PHELPS USA 2002/08/15 FORT LAUDERDALE
GR 4:12.48 Michael PHELPS USA 2002/08/25 YOKOHAMA
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 1 4 Michael PHELPS USA 85 4:12.48 CR (0.74)
2 1 6 Erik VENDT USA 81 4:13.15 (0.66)
3 1 5 Takahiro MORI JPN 80 4:16.35 (0.69)
4 1 2 Brian JOHNS CAN 82 4:16.44 (0.84)
5 1 3 Shinya TANIGUCHI JPN 81 4:17.62 (0.82)
6 1 8 Justin NORRIS AUS 80 4:20.19 (0.81)
7 1 1 Dean KENT NZL 78 4:20.79 (0.83)
8 1 7 Trent STEED AUS 77 4:21.45 (0.82)
Event 23 100m Butterfly Women Finals
Ranking Results
WR 56.61 Inge DE BRUIJN NED 2000/09/17 SYDNEY
GR 57.88 Natalie COUGHLIN USA 2002/08/25 YOKOHAMA
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 1 5 Natalie COUGHLIN USA 82 57.88 CT (0.67)
2 1 4 Petria THOMAS AUS 75 58.11 (0.72)
3 1 3 Jennifer THOMPSON USA 73 58.64 (0.80)
4 1 6 Jennifer BUTTON CAN 77 59.68 (0.77)
5 1 2 Yuko NAKANISHI JPN 81 59.77 (0.72)
6 1 7 Audrey LACROIX CAN 83 1:00.31 (0.87)
7 1 1 Rachel COFFEE AUS 83 1:00.71 (0.75)
8 1 8 Maki MITA JPN 83 1:00.89 (0.70)
Event 24 200m Freestyle Men Semifinals
Ranking Results
WR 1:44.06 Ian THORPE AUS 2001/07/25 FUKUOKA
GR 1:46.00 Ian THORPE AUS 1999/08/24 SYDNEY
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 2 4 Ian THORPE AUS 82 1:47.57 (0.81)
2 1 5 Grant HACKETT AUS 80 1:48.41 (0.78)
3 1 4 Klete KELLER USA 82 1:48.52 (0.74)
4 2 3 Nate DUSING USA 78 1:48.59 (0.69)
5 1 3 Richard SAY CAN 79 1:48.89 (0.76)
6 2 5 Mark JOHNSTON CAN 79 1:49.13 (0.81)
7 1 2 Brent HAYDEN CAN 83 1:49.83 (0.78)
8 1 6 Chad CARVIN USA 74 1:49.98 (0.76)
9 1 1 Scott TUCKER USA 75 1:50.03 (0.69)
10 2 6 Daisuke HOSOKAWA JPN 82 1:50.12 (0.70)
11 1 7 Yoshihiro OKUMURA JPN 83 1:50.42 (0.72)
12 2 2 Jason CRAM AUS 82 1:50.93 (0.82)
13 2 7 Yosuke ICHIKAWA JPN 78 1:51.17 (0.60)
14 2 1 Rafael MOTTA BACELLO MOSCA BRA 82 1:51.47 (0.81)
15 2 8 Leon DUNNE AUS 75 1:51.61 (0.79)
16 1 8 Bruno BONFIM BRA 79 1:53.70 (0.73)
Event 25 100m Breaststroke Women Finals
Ranking Results
WR 1:06.52 Penelope HEYNS RSA 1999/08/23 SYDNEY
GR 1:06.52 Penny HEYNS RSA 1999/08/23 SYDNEY
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 1 3 Amanda BEARD USA 81 1:08.22 (0.68)
2 1 6 Tara KIRK USA 82 1:08.66 (0.71)
3 1 4 Xuejuan LUO CHN 84 1:08.70 (0.75)
4 1 5 Leisel JONES AUS 85 1:08.76 (0.83)
5 1 2 Brooke HANSON AUS 78 1:09.56 (0.76)
6 1 7 Rhiannon LEIER CAN 77 1:09.84 (0.79)
7 1 8 Fumiko KAWANABE JPN 84 1:10.15 (0.82)
8 1 1 Junko ISODA JPN 81 1:10.44 (0.71)
Event 28 100m Backstroke Men Semifinals
Ranking Results
WR 53.60 Lenny KRAYZELBURG USA 1999/08/24 SYDNEY
GR 53.60 Lenny KRAYZELBURG USA 1999/08/27 SYDNEY
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 2 4 Randall BAL USA 80 54.24 (0.57)
2 1 4 Aaron PEIRSOL USA 83 54.31 (0.64)
3 1 5 Peter MARSHALL USA 82 55.02 (0.65)
4 2 5 Atsushi NISHIKORI JPN 78 55.75 (0.54)
5 2 6 Riley JANES CAN 80 55.83 (0.62)
6 2 3 Tomomi MORITA JPN 84 55.89 (0.50)
7 2 2 Leigh MCBEAN AUS 83 56.02 (0.60)
8 1 2 Raymond HUNT USA 82 56.12 (0.64)
9 2 1 Rui YU CHN 82 56.44 (0.57)
10 1 6 Ethan ROLFF AUS 82 56.46 (0.64)
11 2 7 Takashi NAKANO JPN 84 56.69 (0.54)
12 1 7 Naoya SONODA JPN 82 56.81 (0.54)
13 2 8 Gord VELDMAN CAN 79 57.08 (0.63)
14 1 1 Cleber S. PIMENTA COSTA BRA 79 57.13 (0.62)
15 1 8 Scott TALBOT NZL 81 57.40 (0.62)
1 3 Matthew WELSH AUS 76 DQ (0.67)
Event 29 400m Freestyle Women Finals
Ranking Results
WR 4:03.85 Janet EVANS USA 1988/09/22 SEOUL
GR 4:04.53 Janet EVANS USA 1989/08/19 TOKYO
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 1 4 Diana MUNZ USA 82 4:09.50 (0.81)
2 1 5 Lindsay BENKO USA 76 4:10.28 (0.75)
3 1 3 Sachiko YAMADA JPN 82 4:10.79 (0.85)
4 1 6 Elka GRAHAM AUS 81 4:12.42 (0.83)
5 1 7 Amanda PASCOE AUS 84 4:13.33 (0.87)
6 1 1 Ai SHIBATA JPN 82 4:13.34 (0.88)
7 1 2 Monique ANDRADE FERREIRA BRA 80 4:13.48 (0.80)
8 1 8 Jessica DEGLAU CAN 80 4:19.36 (0.80)
Event 30 50m Freestyle Men Semifinals
Ranking Results
WR 21.64 Alexander POPOV RUS 2000/06/16 MOSCOU
GR 22.06 Brendon Dedekind RSA 1999/08/28 SYDNEY
Rank HT LN Name first name Nation YB Time (R.T.)
——————————————————————————–
1 1 4 Jason LEZAK USA 75 22.18 (0.70)
2 2 5 Brett HAWKE AUS 75 22.43 (0.73)
3 2 4 Anthony ERVIN USA 81 22.48 (0.65)
4 1 5 Ashley CALLUS AUS 79 22.64 (0.69)
5 2 6 Aaron CIARLA USA 78 22.84 (0.67)
6 1 6 Thomas HANNAN USA 80 22.96 (0.73)
7 2 2 Adam PINE AUS 76 22.98 (0.73)
8 1 3 Renato GUIMARAES GUERALDI BRA 80 23.05 (0.64)
8 2 3 Issei NAKANISHI JPN 79 23.05 (0.70)
10 1 2 Yannick LUPIEN CAN 80 23.15 (0.74)
11 2 7 Naoki NAGURA JPN 81 23.18 (0.68)
12 1 7 Nicholas ARAUJO DIAS SANTOS BRA 80 23.22 (0.73)
13 2 1 Richard BERA INA 75 23.43 (0.67)
14 1 1 Guilherme ROTH DOS SANTOS BRA 82 23.50 (0.73)
15 1 8 Andre OLIVEIRA CORDEIRO BRA 74 23.69 (0.70)
16 2 8 Mark HERRING NZL 84 23.74 (0.76)
——————————————————————————–
Get up close and personal with many of the top women on the U.S. team now competing at the Pan Pacific Championships. The book, "By a Fraction of a Second," chronicles the stories of current Pan Pac team members; Megan Quann, Lindsay Benko, Diana Munz and others. Read how the latest world record setter on the Pan Pac team had her 2000 Olympic dreams shattered.
After reading the accounts in this fast moving, insiders book, you will appreciate even more the continuing excellence displayed by these athletes. Learn what goes on behind the scenes at international meets, as well as how these swimmers recover from disappointment and injury, and cope with allegations of undetected illegal drug use amongst their competitors.
A great book that will motivate swimmers of all ages. Anyone interested in the drama of great swimming competition will enjoy "By a Fraction of a Second."