The 2018 Mel Zajac Jr. International meet in Vancouver concluded with strong performances by many of the top swimmers at the meet.
Caeleb Dressel set a meet record to win the 50 breaststroke in 27.89. Liam Johnston was second in 29.21, followed by Jacob Foster (29.42).
But the bigger news was Dressel was beaten in the 100 freestyle. He finished in 49.58, behind Markus Thormeyer (49.54). It wasn’t an earth-shatterling loss, but Dressel simply hasn’t been defeated very much in the past couple of years. Yuri Kisil was third at 49.69. Ryan Lochte finished sixth at 50.76.
Locate turned around and won the 100 backstroke just minutes later in 54.75. Clark Beach was second (55.65), followed by Robert Hill (55.82).
Penny Oleksiak won the 200 butterfly in 2:09.96, finishing well ahead of Bailey Herbert (2:14.93) and Victoria Kwan (2:16.23).
Oleksiak also won the 100 free in 54.50, breezing past Gretchan Walsh (55.77) and Mackenzie Padington (55.81).
Padington concluded her strong meet by winning the 800 free in 8:37.61. Molly Gowans was second (8:50.09), followed by Savanna Faulconer (8:51.27).
Rachel Nicol won the 50 breast in 31.69, followed by Zoie Hartman (32.08) and Ema Rajic (32.24).
Isabelle Stadden won the 100 back in 1:00.10, holding off Katharine Berkoff (1:00.65) and Phoebe Bacon (1:01.65).
Gianluca Urlando won the 200 butterfly in 1:59.12, followed by Mark Szaranek (2:01.04) and Nicolaas Dekker (2:01.84).
Markus Thormeyer also posted a faster 100m Back than Lochte racing in the B Final. He could have notched 2 wins against those big dogs if he hadn’t been ‘off’ in the morning!
Not great times by Australian standards?
Not great by world leading either but it is in season. ..
Hugo Lemay Jonathan Naisby Vincent Burney