SWIMMING HEATING UP FOR THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN TOWN

Pan Pacs Swimming, August 15, 2014: Australia’s head coach Jacco Verhaeren urges fans to get behind swim team. The countdown is on for the 2014 Hancock Prospecting Pan Pacific Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast, with the arrival yesterday of the 60-strong USA team including superstars Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky.
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The star-studded Americans will face a confidence-filled Australian team, fresh from their golden medal haul at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, as well as the might of a rejuvenated Canadian team and a Japanese team, swimming faster than ever.

And already swimming fans are flocking to the ticket office to get a glimpse of their heroes in the action-packed four-day swim meet at the brand new Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

With just one week to go until the opening sessions next Thursday, August 21, tickets are selling fast. Swimming Australia has confirmed today there are limited Finals sessions tickets available.   

Patrons are urged to get in quickly to purchase Heats tickets to avoid missing out completely.  The  heats sessions on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will feature not only the cream of Australia, USA, Japan and Canada but swimmers from the 14 other Pan Pac nations who will all race for a place in the finals.

Australia’s National Head coach Jacco Verhaeren has encouraged fans to get along to what he believes will be very competitive heats sessions.

“Given the format of the meet, only the two fastest swimmers from the Pan Pac nations in the top eight can qualify for the final so the racing in the heats will be very competitive.

“There is no doubt the heats will be very exciting indeed and given how fast the US swimmers swam the heats of their National meet you can expect some very fast times.

“In Australia we don’t get many chances to see our Swim Team race the best in the world, I would encourage everyone to get along to the event and cheer the Australians on – there is nothing better than a home town advantage,” Verhaeren said.

The US were the last team to wrap up their selection trials and have announced a 60-strong team to compete at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre from Thursday August 21 to Sunday August 24 and then at the Open Water competition on Monday August 25.

And while all eyes have been on Phelps and Lochte, swimming’s latest superstar, 17-year-old Olympic champion and three-time FINA World Champion, Ledecky has again captured the imagination of the swimming public with her latest world record swim – clocking an amazing 3:58.86 – at the US Nationals in Irvine, California earlier this week.

Ledecky now owns the world records for 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle and will be going all out to stamp her authority on all three events on the Gold Coast.

The greatest Olympian of all time Phelps, has qualified for his first international competition since announcing his retirement in 2012.

With the US using the Pan Pacs as a selection event for the 2015 World Championships in Kazaan, their swimmers will no doubt be out to impress.

The Australian team will also be out in force after collecting a record medal hall in Glasgow, the team will be looking to continue their run of success in front of a packed home crowd.

The crowd can expect some tough match ups with the four days of world class pool action set to feature a number of high profile head-to-heads including reigning World and Commonwealth Champion James Magnussen taking on the 2012 Olympic Champion Nathan Adrian from the USAin the men’s 50 and 100m freestyle.

Magnussen’s training partner Daniel Tranter will also come up against the world’s best but will take confidence into this meet from his gold medal winning performance in the 200m individual medley at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The Pan Pacs gold medal won’t come easily for Tranter, as he will have to get the better of 2013 World Championship gold and silver medallists, Lochte and three-time Olympic champion in this event Phelps from the USA as well as Kosuke Hagino from Japan.

Fresh from their distance duel at the Commonwealth Games, Canada’s Ryan Cochrane and Mack Horton will once again go head-to-head for a gruelling 30 laps of the pool.

Cochrane was too strong for Horton in Glasgow but with the home crowd cheering him on, Horton could close the gap when they race on the Gold Coast.

In the women’s event’s our backstroke queens Belinda Hocking and Emily Seebohm will be looking to get one back on MissyFranklinas they fight for first place in the women’s 100 and 200m backstroke events after Franklin relegated both Hocking (200m backstroke) and Seebohm (100m backstroke) to silver at the 2013 World Championships.

As a master of many strokes, Franklin could also line up on the blocks our very own Commonwealth Games golden girl Emma McKeon in the 200m freestyle.

McKeon will face another packed program also going head-to-head with recent Commonwealth Games gold medallist Canada’s Katerine Savard in the 100m butterfly.

While the Open Water competition on August 25 will see the likes of Canadian Richard Weinberger who finished fifth in the 10km at the 2013 World Championships in a tussle for the title with Jarrod Poort and Simon Huitenga who will both have the home town advantage.

See attached for start list.

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

Swimming fans still keen to see Australia’s swimming superstars in action can purchase tickets to all four heats sessions with finals tickets still available for Thursday, August 21 and Sunday, August 24.

Corporate packages are also still available and include a two hour sit down buffet dinner with premium beverages, an exclusive private seating area and the chance to rub shoulders with some of the Gold Coast’s top business executives.

You don’t want to miss the chance to see some of the best swimmers in the world as they swim for gold on Australian soil when the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships return to Australia for the first time in 15 years.

To purchase tickets to the 2014 Hancock Prospecting Pan Pacific Swimming Championships go to http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/2014-Hancock-Prospecting-Pan-Pacific-Championships-tickets/artist/1981824

To purchase a corporate package or for more information, click here: http://www.swimming.org.au/article.php?group_id=39792

Event media contact: Ian Hanson – 0407 385 160 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank"> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Australian team media contact: Kathleen Rayment – 0432 915 262, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kathleen Rayment | Media & Public Relations Coordinator | Swimming Australia Ltd
PO Box 3286, Belconnen ACT 2617 | Direct: 02 6219 5623 | M: 0432 915 262 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.swimming.org.au

Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by Ian Hanson
Media Manager Australian Commonwealth Games Team, Glasgow, 2014