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Notes by John Lohn
IRVINE, California, August 19. OVER the course of the final three days here at the Pan Pacific Championships, we'll produce some notebooks that take a look at a handful of odds and ends from the William Woollett Aquatic Center.
**It might not hold as much prestige as their prime event, but David Plummer and Nick Thoman will have a chance at some retribution tonight. During their respective heats in the 100 backstroke on Wednesday night, Plummer and Thoman each crashed down on the lane line. The collision cost Plummer a chance at a podium finish while Thoman, in the consolation final, appeared headed for a low-53 effort.
In Thursday morning action, Thoman topped the field in the 50 backstroke, touching the wall in 24.82. He was followed in second position by Plummer, who registered a mark of 24.87. The field for tonight's final will include Japan's Junya Koga, who was second in the 50 back at last year's World Championships. Koga qualified fifth behind Australia's Ashley Delaney and Japan's Ryosuke Irie.
**As a four-time Olympic champion and multi-time world-record setter, Japan's Kosuke Kitajima is considered the best breaststroker in history. In the preliminaries of the 100 breast, Kitajima blazed to a time of 59.04, the fastest ever in a textile suit. Prior to Kitajima's swim, American Brendan Hansen owned the swiftest time in a textile suit, going 59.13 at the National Championships in 2006. Hansen's time, too, was posted at the Woollett Aquatic Center.
**How about that Amanda Beard. Obviously a stronger 200 breaststroker, where she owns an Olympic title, the four-time Olympian posted the second-fastest time of her career in the 100 breast during prelims. Beard touched the wall in 1:07.53, not far off her 1:07.42 from the 2003 season.
Beard was more than a second faster than her time from Nationals and has to be riding a confidence wave with the 200 breast scheduled for Saturday. A mother for the first time in the past year, Beard is seemingly following the Dara Torres plan.
**The first relay action of the competition will get under way tonight with the men's and women's 800 freestyle relays. The United States is heavily favored to win both events. That's not a surprise on the men's side, but the American women are looking real good after not winning gold at the 2008 Olympics or last year's World Championships.
The USA lineup tonight is expected to feature Allison Schmitt and Dana Vollmer, both under 1:56.50 this week, along with Morgan Scroggy and Katie Hoff.
**The Pan Pacific Championships rule limiting two competitors per nation to a championship final bailed out Brazilian Cesar Cielo, the world-record holder in the 100 freestyle. Cielo went 49.13 in prelims, the 10th-fastest time. But he was bumped up to the medals heat because the United States and Australia had three finishers each ahead of him. Bumped down were James Magnussen (48.95) and Garrett Weber-Gale (48.98).
