Photo Courtesy: Tobiuo Japan
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GOLD COAST, Australia, August 24.
The Japanese went 1-2 in the final, and it wasn’t even close. Kanako Watanabe (2:21.41) and Rie Kaneto (2:21.90) put their stamp on the race with a pair of 2:21s. They both have been faster this year with Watanabe (2:21.09) and Kaneto (2:21.58) ranking second and third behind Rikke Moeller Pedersen’s world-leading 2:19.61, but they didn’t need that speed tonight.
Australia’s Taylor McKeown placed third in 2:22.89, off her fourth-ranked 2:22.10 from Aussie Nationals, while Canada’s Kierra Smith finished fourth in 2:23.32.
USA’s Micah Lawrence (2:24.60), USA’s Breeja Larson (2:24.90), Australia’s Sally Hunter (2:25.25) and Canada’s Martha McCabe (2:25.62) claimed the other finishes in the championship heat.
A Final Results
1 WATANABE, KANAK 17 JAPAN 2:23.44 2:21.41 951
r:+0.72 32.92 1:09.04 (36.12)
1:45.36 (36.32) 2:21.41 (36.05)
2 KANETO, RIE 25 JAPAN 2:23.18 2:21.90 942
r:+0.79 33.38 1:09.70 (36.32)
1:45.63 (35.93) 2:21.90 (36.27)
3 MCKEOWN, TAYLOR 19 AUSTRALIA 2:25.16 2:22.89 922
r:+0.68 32.50 1:08.38 (35.88)
1:45.17 (36.79) 2:22.89 (37.72)
4 SMITH, KIERRA 20 CANADA 2:24.02 2:23.32 914
r:+0.77 33.16 1:09.59 (36.43)
1:46.32 (36.73) 2:23.32 (37.00)
5 LAWRENCE, MICAH 24 UNITED STATES 2:24.70 2:24.60 890
r:+0.70 32.62 1:08.31 (35.69)
1:45.85 (37.54) 2:24.60 (38.75)
6 LARSON, BREEJA 22 UNITED STATES 2:24.50 2:24.90 884
r:+0.78 33.19 1:10.11 (36.92)
1:47.44 (37.33) 2:24.90 (37.46)
7 HUNTER, SALLY 29 AUSTRALIA 2:26.44 2:25.25 878
r:+0.72 32.84 1:10.03 (37.19)
1:47.24 (37.21) 2:25.25 (38.01)
8 MCCABE, MARTHA 25 CANADA 2:26.12 2:25.62 871
r:+0.71 33.24 1:10.05 (36.81)
1:47.30 (37.25) 2:25.62 (38.32)
With the meet winding down, it was obvious no one decided to swim in the B final unless they had to. Mio Motegi won the consolation heat in 2:27.20 with teammate Satomi Suzuki taking second in 2:30.87. South Africa’s Jonker Franko (2:33.87) and China’s Liu Xiaoyu (2:35.14) also swam in the event.
B Final Results
9 MOTEGI, MIO 20 JAPAN 2:26.22 2:27.20 844
r:+0.73 33.65 1:10.59 (36.94)
1:48.59 (38.00) 2:27.20 (38.61)
10 SUZUKI, SATOMI 23 JAPAN 2:30.45 2:30.87 783
r:+0.66 32.94 1:10.51 (37.57)
1:50.52 (40.01) 2:30.87 (40.35)
11 JONKER, FRANKO 21 SOUTH AFRICA 2:32.68 2:33.87 738
r:+0.77 34.84 1:14.13 (39.29)
1:54.59 (40.46) 2:33.87 (39.28)
12 LIU, XIAOYU 21 CHINA 2:40.35 2:35.14 720
r:+0.72 35.08 1:14.28 (39.20)
1:54.77 (40.49) 2:35.14 (40.37)
Great news. She is really good player!