MCEVOY AND CAMPBELL SISTERS NO SPLASH IN THE PAN

 

NATION	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE	TOTAL
United States of America	8	4	8	20
Australia	4	4	5	13
Japan	4	4	-	8
Canada	-	1	2	3
Brazil	-	2	-	2
New Zealand	-	1	1	2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pan Pacs Swimming, August 23, 2014: Swimming fans around the world held their breath last night as competitors in both the men’s and women’s 100m freestyle put on a spectacular show of speed and style as they splashed through the two lap dash at the 2014 Hancock Prospecting Pan Pacific Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast.

Heralding a new era of sprint freestyle, Cameron McEvoy went out fast and couldn’t be caught, eventually hitting the wall to win gold in a time of 47.82, to set a new Pan Pacs record.

McEvoy lifted to perform under pressure, swimming against Olympic Champion Nathan Adrian, back-to-back World Champion James Magnussen and the greatest ever Olympian Michael Phelps.

A Gold Coast local, the crowd roared as McEvoy soared home in the final 50 metres, clear of his rivals to be the only athlete under 48 seconds.

“To me, it felt pretty perfect,” McEvoy said after the race.

“Anytime you swim in front of a home crowd, it’s always going to feel great with your friends and family in the crowd. And also, I was just happy to be there in such great company in that race. Going out, I just wanted to enjoy it because when’s the next time I’ll be able to be in a race with people like that?”

With results like this, McEvoy should be prepared to race ‘people like that’ more and more as the two-year countdown to the Rio Olympic Games begins.

“You have always got to have in the back of your mind that you do have the possibility of winning,” he said. “But in saying that, I wouldn’t have been disappointed if I didn’t win. That’s one of the best ways I can approach a race – just being relaxed and being grateful that I am there.”

Despite suffering from a painful disc injury in his back, Magnussen came away with the bronze medal, clocking a time of 48.36.

“I didn’t quite have the preparation to go fast tonight,” Magnussen said.

“I was in a lot of pain and I had eight days out of the water. I’ve raced with back pain before, although probably not this serious but you only get so many chances in your lifetime to represent your country so I was pretty determined to try and swim. I put it on the line tonight - that was all I had.”

Olympic champion, Adrian wasn’t quite able to replicate his blistering heat swim, finishing in 48.30 with the silver medal.

His countryman Phelps, came into the meet with a level of uncertainty, returning to international competition for the first time since announcing his retirement in 2012.

After a fast morning heat, any uncertainty was gone – the best ever was back. Phelps swam 48.51 in the final, a time that left him just shy of the podium but ensured he’d be on the blocks at next year’s World Championships, the launching pad to Rio 2016.

Determined to not be upstaged by the boys, Cate Campbell and sister Bronte delivered a magical sister act in the women’s 100m freestyle to a sold out home crowd.

Cate pulled off a blistering swim to finish in 52.72, just missing her own record set in this morning’s heats.

“I won’t lie, I was feeling a bit of the fast swim from this morning – it was stinging a little bit,” the 22-year-old said.

“I’m happy to come away with the win. This meet isn’t so much racing for times it’s about racing for places because everyone is in a bit of a world of pain at the moment and we are all pulling through and I’m so incredibly proud of everyone.”

Campbell now has the World, Commonwealth and Pan Pacs titles to her name – with the final piece of the puzzle awaiting her in Rio.

“Absolutely – I am so excited,” she said about going for gold at the next Olympics. “I almost don’t want to have a break. Almost! I’ll definitely be taking a little bit of time off and then refocusing. We have two years to go and it’s looking very good.

Younger sister Bronte improved on her heat time, clocking 53.45 to grab silver ahead of Simone Manuel of the USA (53.71).

“I love to win but I was proud of my race tonight and if I’m going to finish second then there is no one I’d rather finish second to than Cate,” said Bronte.

Another Campbell waiting in the wings…waiting for Rio.

In other events…

Women’s 400m Individual Medley

Keryn McMaster gave it everything in the final of the women’s 400m individual medley, with the 20-year-old posting a time of 4:38.72 to bag the bronze medal.

Qualifying for the meet off the back of her bronze medal performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, McMaster came to the Pan Pacs with a medal in mind.

The young Queenslander will be buoyed by her performance on the international stage so soon after Glasgow and will now regroup ahead of Sunday’s 200m IM. Elizabeth Beisel of the USA was first in 4:36.89, with Maya Dorado second in 4:37.53.

Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay

The women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team of Bronte Barratt, Emma McKeon, Brittany Elmslie and Melanie Schlanger combined to secure the silver medal in a race to the wall with team USA. 

Dual Olympian Barratt led the charge for Australia but was just under the pace set by USA’s Shannon Vreeland over the first 200m. Although not tasting individual success at this meet so far, McKeon executed a perfect relay swim to grab the lead. The teenager had the superior turns over superstar Missy Franklin and gained nearly two seconds on the USA to put Australia half a body length in front.

Elmslie was third out and held Australia’s lead but the final leg was always going to be the biggest challenge. The USA was anchored by powerhouse swimmer Katie Ledecky who took gold in the individual 200m on Day 1. Taking her on was Australia’s Melanie Schlanger, a dual Olympic medallist in this event, but fatigued from her earlier 100m, the 27-year-old just couldn’t hold on to the win, finishing in 7:47.47 to the USA’s 7:46.40. Canada was third in 7:58.03.

Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay

The USA held off an incredibly strong Japanese relay team to win gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle with Australia taking bronze.

It was Japan who took the early lead, Kosuke Hagino showing no signs of slowing down following his 400m IM win, to have the touch on Australia’s David McKeon, and USA’s Conor Dwyer at the end of the first 200m.

Cameron McEvoy then faced off against Michael Phelps for the second time in an hour, but Reo Sakata made use of his fresh legs to streak away with a two second lead. Putting aside his exhaustion from last night’s 1500m, Mack Horton tried his hand at the sprint distance and held his own but it was the returning champion Ryan Lochte who shone in this leg. Lochte had a great changeover and started to pull in Japan’s Yuki Kobori, taking the lead with 100m to go and hitting the wall 0.01 seconds behind Japan.

The crowd was on its feet as the anchor swimmers brought the race home. USA’s Matt McLean and Japan’s Takeshi Matsuda went stroke for stroke but it was the American who won by a fingernail, clocking 7:05.17 to Japan’s 7:05.30. Straight off the back of his 400m IM, Thomas Fraser-Holmes delivered another fast 200m freestyle split to secure the bronze.

Women’s 100m Breaststroke

After breaking through for her first big international medal at the recent Commonwealth Games, Lorna Tonks put together a strong final in the women’s 100m breaststroke but just couldn’t quite touch for a medal, finishing fourth in 1:07.41.

Veteran US swimmer Jessica Hardy took out the event in 1:06.74, with Japan’s teenager Kanako Watanabe second in 1:06.78 and USA’s Breeja Larson rounding out the medals with bronze in 1:06.99. Up and comer Taylor McKeown was fifth in 1:07.55. A 200m specialist, McKeown will use the 100m final as useful experience ahead of her pet event on Sunday.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke

Swimming in his first senior Australian team, young-gun Jake Packard swam 1:00.54 to finish sixth in a race not without drama. A month after winning an LA Invitational in a new meet record, Packard found himself in top company at the Pan Pacs with world number eight Kevin Cordes leading the charge. Cordes was kept off the podium however with a disqualification - a year after being part of a relay transition disqualification at the 2013 World Championships.

Cordes’ cap slipped diving into the pool and his goggles filled up with water, forcing him to take them off during the turn. Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki took top honours in 59.62 with Felipe Franca Silva of Brazil also swimming sub one-minute to take the silver medal in (59.82) – season’s best times for both swimmers. New Zealander Glenn Snyders was third in 1:00.18.

Men’s 400m Individual Medley

It was a big night of swimming for Thomas Fraser-Holmes, taking on the grueling 400m IM and then just minutes later stepping on the blocks for the relay. The 22-year-old Gold Coast local delivered a strong performance in the medley, touching just outside the medals – fourth in 4:10.55. His teammate Travis Mahoney was seventh in 4:17.95. The race belonged to Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, the 20-year-old taking gold in 4:08.31. The Olympic bronze medallist, Hagino showed why he is the world’s top ranked swimmer over the distance, dominating every leg and coming within in a fraction of the meet record. Silver and bronze went to Americans Tyler Clary (4:09.03) and Chase Kalisz (4:09.62) respectively.

 

Network Ten, through ONE HD and Channel Ten will televise the four-day 2014 Hancock Prospecting Pan Pacific Swimming Championships live from the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

Saturday night’s finals session featuring US superstars Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly and Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle as well as both 4 x 100m freestyle relays will be telecast live on Channel Ten from 7.30pm. The Thursday, Friday and Sunday finals sessions will be televised live on ONE HD.

The morning sessions will be streamed live via the Swimming Australia website: http://www.swimming.org.au/live

Finals sessions are sold out but there are still tickets available for the four morning sessions (10am) and they are available through www.ticketmaster.com.au

Event media contact: Ian Hanson – 0407 385 160 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