SILVER LINING FOR DOLPHINS IN GUAM AS 1500M BOY STEPS UP

GUAM, January 8, 2009: Australia's swimmers have collected six silver and three bronze medals in an encouraging start to the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships at the Leo Palace Resort Aquatic Centre.

As hard as they tried the young Telstra Dolphins could not quite crack it for a gold medal on the opening night of the four day pool competition here.

The best performance of the night came in the very last event when Sydney Year 12 student at St Patrick's College Strathfield, Christopher Ashwood took silver with a 16 second personal best time in a thrilling 1500 metres freestyle final.

Ashwood, one of the stars of the 2007 Australian Youth Olympics in Sydney, chased Japan's Jumpei Higashi for 30 laps as light rain fell at dusk in the outdoor venue.

Higashi made his move at the 1400 metre mark and despite Ashwood's determined last 50 metre sprint it was the Japanese boy who took the gold in 15 minutes 24.34 seconds.

The 17-year-old Tony Shaw coached Ashwood finished second in 15:25.89, ahead of American Ryan Feeley who clocked 15:30.82 in the morning heat.

"It would have been nice to win but I'm just so pleased to swim a big personal best time, I really couldn't be happier," said Ashwood, whose sister Jessicah will represent Australia at this year's Youth Olympics starting at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre next week.

"I saw him get away on me on the second last lap and I kicked as hard as I possibly could down that final lap but just couldn't get him."

It is certainly a very encouraging improvement by the191cm tall distance swimmer, who will contest the Telstra Australian Championships for the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre Club between March 17-22.

The evening started out with 16-year-old Gold Coast school student Ellen Fullerton's silver medal in the women's 200 metres freestyle in the same time she clocked this morning to set a new meet record of 1:59.32.

Fullerton was no match for one of the USA's rising stars Dagny Knutson, who eclipsed Fullerton's mark in a sizzling time of 1:57.73 to win the gold.

The young Australia girls time also established a new Australian 16 years record, eclipsing the previous mark held previously by Beijing Olympic relay gold medallist Bronte Barratt.

The men's 200m freestyle saw Canadian Hassaan Abdel-Khalik (1:49.55) storm home over the final stages to snatch the gold from Australian pair Tommaso D'Orsogna (1:49.57) and Ryan Napoleon (1:49.65) who set a meet record of 1:48.94.

Melbourne's Grace Loh staged a stroke-for-stroke battle with Japan's Shiho Sakai before finishing with silver in the women's 100m backstroke - 1:01.12 to 1:01.36 - a personal best to Loh - with both swimmers under Australian Emily Seebohm's meet record of 1:01.90.

There was further silver to Brisbane's Amy Smith who fought all the way before being out-touched by American Camille Adams in the women's 200m butterfly, Smith clocking 2:10.55 to Adams' 2:10.18.

Japan's Yuki Kobori (1.57.66) proved too fast and too strong for Australian duo Lachlan Staples (1:59.19) and Declan Potts (1:59.92pb) in the men's 200 metres butterfly while Blair Evans clocked a time of 8:46.28 to claim bronze in the women's 800 metres freestyle.

2009 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAY ONE FINALS:

WOMEN

200m freestyle:

Dagny Knutson (USA) 1:57.73

Ellen Fullerton (AUS) 1:59.32

Andrea Taylor (USA) 2:00.46

800m freestyle:

Haley Anderson (USA) 8:38.54

Amber McDermott (USA) 8:39.13

Blair Evans (AUS) 8:46.28

100m backstroke:

Shiho Sakai (JPN) 1:01.12

Grace Loh (AUS) 1:01.36

Sinead Russell (CAN) 1:02.32

200m butterfly:

Camille Adams (USA) 2:10.18

Amy Smith (AUS) 2:10.55

Adrienne Bicek (USA) 2:11.20

MEN

200m freestyle:

Hassaan Abdel-Khalik (CAN) 1:49.55

Tommaso D'Orsogna (AUS) 1:49.57

Ryan Napoleon (AUS) 1:49.65

1500m freestyle:

Jumpei Higashi (JPN) 15:24.34

Christopher Ashwood (AUS) 15:25.89

Ryan Feeley (USA) 15:30.82

100m backstroke:

Daniel Bell (NZL) 55.11

Patrick Murphy (USA) 55.90

Takahiro Yamazaki (JPN) 56.66

200m butterfly:

Yuki Kobori (JPN) 1:57.66

Lachlan Staples (AUS) 1:59.19

Declan Potts (AUS) 1:59.92

POINTSCORE:

USA                             89

AUSTRALIA                  76

JAPAN                         67

CANADA                       36

NEW ZEALAND 25

CHINA                          2

MEXICO                       1