VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 20. KARA Lynn Joyce wound up winning the catch-as-catch-can 50-meter freestyle event with a 25.10, falling a scant .07 seconds off the meet-record time off 25.03 set by Amy Van Dyken in 1995. That win gave the U.S. its fourth consecutive gold medal of the final night of competition at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships on Sunday.
“You have to work on your start to make it pretty quick and then get to the wall as fast as you can,” Joyce said.
Meanwhile, Natalie Coughlin scored silver for the Americans in 25.32, while Brazil’s Flavia Delaroli rounded out the podium in 25.62.
Notably, Joyce also tied for the fastest reaction time with a .69, while fourth-place finisher Rebeca Gusmao of Brazil turned in the same reaction time en route to a 25.64 to finish just .02 seconds out of a medal.
In other action, American Amanda Weir won the consolation heat with a 25.25. That time would have earned her silver if not for the two-per-country rule.
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