2024 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, depending on when/where you are reading this. The second day of the 2024 Junior Pan Pacs is about to kick off in Canberra, Australia. It’s a short session with six individual events, three for each gender.
DAY 2 PRELIMS SCHEDULE
- Girl’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims
- Boy’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims
- Girl’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims
- Boy’s 100 Breaststroke– Prelims
- Girl’s 400 Individual Medley – Prelims
- Boy’s 400 Individual Medley– Prelims
Junior Pan Pacs is run a little differently than how the Olympics recently were held. In Paris, each nation was limited to two individual entrants, but this meeting allowed for more than two. However, only two from each nation can move on to the A-Final and two into the B-Final, meaning one could be the 5th fastest swimmer in prelims but miss out on a second swim, should the four in front of you be your compatriots. What this means is that competition for the Finals (there are no semifinals) will be very intense in the prelims, especially as there are only two circle-seeded heats.
With just four days of competition, it’s a tight-packed schedule, meaning we will see many of last night’s winners reappear. Australia’s Inez Miller, who won the 200 in 1:57.72, will tackle the 100 this session entering as the 7th seed in 55.45. Ahead of her in pole position is compatriot Milla Jansen, who leads the field with her 54.13 entry time. Jansen finished 3rd in the 200 last night, with the USA’s Madi Mintenko sandwiched between them for silver. Mintenko has her work cut out to repeat as an A-finalist, as both Rylee Erisman (54.22) and Erika Pelaez (54.56) are seeded ahead of her.
Like Miller, the boy’s 200 free winner Luka Mijatovic appears in this morning’s 100 free prelims. Just seeded 11th with a 50.63, Mijatovic will have his work cut out for him to make the A-final, especially as four Americans are seeded above him. The top seed belongs to Korea’s Kim Youngbeom, who’s 49.09 leads Australia’s Marcus Da Silva (49.37) and the US’s Jason Zhao (49.39). With the top seven entered under 50, the fight for the final is sure to be intense.
The women’s 100 breaststroke field is small, comprising just three heats. Japan’s Kotomi Kato, 18, is one of just two swimmers entered under 1:08 and will face tough competition from Sienna Toohey, who is just 15. The Aussie entered with a time of 1:07.72, but at the Australian Olympic Trials in June, she scorched her way to a new Australian age group record of 1:07.01.
The men’s 100 breaststroke is also relatively underpopulated, as there are just 27 entrants. Campbell McKean of the USA leads the way with his entry time of 1:01.00 but will face tough competition from his own compatriots as he is flanked by Joe Polyak (1:01.43) and Jordan Willis (1:01.23). The second seed, Shin Ohashi, is in a similar position as he is joined by teammates Naoto Takai and Ryu Saito in his heat, as well as American Josh Bey.
Twenty-four swimmers are entered in the women’s 400 IM, with the USA’s Lilla Bognar (4:37.86) and Japan’s Misuzu Nagaoka (4:42.13) leading the way. Of note, Bognar’s entry time would have placed her 5th in the finals of the Olympics.
The men’s 400 IM closes out the prelim session and has just 18 swimmers. However, like in the women’s 400 IM, the top seeds, Asaki Nishikawa (4:11.94) and Riki Abe (4:13.95), both of Japan, can not take it easy, as they are still constrained by the two-per-country rule and their compatriot Kazushi Imafuku(4:16.36) is the third seed. 800 freestyle winner Luke Ellis (4:19.94) will dive into the water for the second time this meet as the 5th seed behind fellow American Gregg Enoch(4:16.80).
GIRLS 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- World Junior Record: 52.70– Penny Oleksiak, CAN (2016)
- Meet Record: 54.13 – Erin Gemmell, USA (2022)
- All Comers Record: 52.06 – Cate Campbell, AUS (2016)
Top 8:
- Milla Jansen (AUS) – 54.19
- Rylee Erisman (USA) – 54.29
- Erika Pelaez (USA)/Hannah Casey (AUS) – 55.06
- Zoe Pedersen (NZL) – 55.48
- Delia Lloyd (CAN) – 55.81
- Jenna Walters (CAN) – 56.12
- Haruka Yoshinaga (JPN) – 56.27
And we are off. Heat 1 was led at the start by Jonalese Vatubua of Fiji, who flipped in 30.18, but it was Samoa’s Salani Sa’aga who took the heat win in 1:03.45. Six of the eight swimmers in heat 2 hailed from Singapore, and it was lane 2’s Kate Ona who took the heat win at 1:00.75, leading out her compatriots Li Wen Ashley Koh (1:01.05) and Zahra Izam (1:01.11). Ona entered with a seed of 1:02.45, so she nearly dropped two full seconds.
Singapore’s Elyza Mak posted the first-time sub-60 as she won heat 3 in a time of 59.17, just a little off her entry time of 58.97. New Zealand’s Amelia Bray exploded on the backhalf of heat 4 to overtake the top time, posting a mark of 56.29, undercutting her entry time of 57.05. Second to Bray in the heat was 14-year-old Lee Won of Korea, who touched in 57.04.
Expounding the benefits of strong underwater, the USA’s Charlotte Crush “crushed” the underwater of the turn. She flipped first in 26.89 and was closely followed by Canada’s Matea Gigovic, who was also under 27, but Crush’s underwater opened a large gap, and Crush opened up a lead. Towards the finish, the competition closed on her, but the 16-year-old American held on to win in 55.92, with the Canadian behind at 56.12.
Heat 6, the first of the circle-seeded heats (or barrel-seeded per the broadcast), saw Rylee Erisman attack the race, flipping in 25.96. Erisman was far and away from the class of the field as she pulled away from the field and easily won in 54.29. Hannah Casey of Australia was nearly a second back, touching in 55.06, just .07 ahead of last night’s silver medalist in the 200 Madi Mintenko.
Milla Jansen, who was 8th at the Australian Olympic Trials in this event, was 26.36 at the 50 turn but utilized some fast backhalf speed to close in 27.83 to stop the clock in 54.19, just .06 off her entry time and the Junior Pan Pac record set in 2022. The USA’s Erika Pelaez was 2nd in the heat in 55.06 half a second off her entry time.
SWIM-OFF: Unannounced until it started between the 400 IM there was a swim-off for a spot in the A-Final between Jenna Walters and Matea Gigovic, both of Canada who tied in 56.12. Gigovic flipped first at 27.34 vs 27.40, but Walters exploded down the home straight to take the win in 55.88.
BOYS 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- World Junior Record: 46.86– David Popovici, ROU (2022)
- Meet Record: 48.23 – Flynn Southam, AUS (2022)
- All Comers Record: 47.07 – Cameron McEvoy, AUS (2016)
Top 8:
- Youngbeom Kim (KOR) – 48.65
- Laon Kim (CAN) – 49.71
- Jason Zhao (USA) – 49.75
- Marcus Da Silva (AUS) – 49.89
- Thomas Booth (AUS) – 50.14
- Quin Seider (USA) – 50.17
- Kazusa Kurdoa (JPN) – 50.40
- Aiden Norman (CAN) – 50.57
Outside smoke in Heat 4 as in lane 1 the USA’s Rowan Cox posted the fastest time of the morning so far with his 50.92, dropping .55 off his seed.
49.71 for Canada’s Laon Kim in heat 5, the first of the circle-seeded heats, was enough for the 16-year-old to take the win over 18-year-olds Marcus Da Silva and Thomas Booth. Kim was out in a speedy 23.77, .25 ahead of Da Silva, and managed to hold the Aussies off, with Da Silva taking second in 49.89 and Booth just on the other side of 50, as he touched in 50.14. Winner of the 200, Luke Mijatovic, 15, finished well back in 50.62, but was .01 faster than his entry time.
The last heat of the men’s 100 free saw a burst of speed as Youngbeom Kim of Korea was out like a rocket, flipping in 23.32, nearly .3 ahead of the next fastest swimmer, the USA’s August Vetsch. Kim continued to build that lead to post a blistering new PB of 48.65, winning the heat by over a full second as the USA’s Jason Zhao and Quin Seider passed teammate Vetsch on the last 50 to finish in 49.75 and 50.17, respectively.
GIRLS 100 BREASTSTROKE– PRELIMS
- World Junior Record: 1:04.35– Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
- Meet Record: 1:07.55– Emily Weiss, USA (2018)
- All Comers Record: 1:05.09– Leisel Jones, AUS (2006)
Top 8:
- Sienna Toohey (AUS) – 1:07.68
- Mana Ishikawa (JPN) – 1:08.82
- Elle Scott (USA) – 1:08.83
- Hayley Mackinfer (AUS) – 1:09.21
- Addie Robillard (USA) – 1:09.47
- Anna Inagaki (JPN) – 1:09.48
- Halle West (CAN) – 1:09.88
- Dawoon Jung (KOR) – 1:11.15
Sienna Toohey of Australia did not swim like a 15 year-old, as she put on a masterclass of a performance. Out in 31.07, the youngster, who was third at the Australian Trials this past June, kept up the pace and led from start to finish, ultimately finishing in 1:07.68, just shy of the Meet Record of 1:07.55. Toohey likely has more left for tonight as she has a PB of 1:07.01. The USA’s Elle Scott shadowed the young Aussie for most of the race but began to fall back and finished in 1:08.83, albeit still fast enough for second in the heat and just .1 off her seed.
Heat 3, the last heat of this event, saw top seed Kotomi Kato touch first in 32.09, just ahead of the USA’s Addie Robillard and Japan’s Mana Ishikawa. Ishikawa made the more substantial surge of the two to appear to push Kato on the backhalf. Kato touched in around 1:07.55, but no result was posted on the live stream; instead, it appeared as if she was immediately Disqualified. Ishikawa’s 1:08.39 won the heat instead, and Robillard’s 1:09.47 took second.
During the men’s event, it was announced that Kato had initiated a start before the signal, aka a false start.
BOYS 100 BREASTSTROKE– PRELIMS
- World Junior Record: 59.01– Nicolo Marthinenghi, ITA (2017)
- Meet Record: 59.85– Akihiro Yamaguchi, JPN (2012)
- All Comers Record: 58.84– Adam Peaty, GBR (2018)
Top 8:
- Shin Ohashi (JPN) – 1:00.95
- Oliver Dawson (CAN) – 1:01.27
- Campbell McKean (USA) – 1:01.94
- Josh Bey (USA) – 1:02.15
- Naoto Takai (JPN) – 1:02.33
- Nicholas Stoupas (AUS) – 1:02.91
- Kiet Kong (CAN) – 1:03.40
- Jacob Nimmo (AUS) – 1:03.57
Japan’s Shin Ohashi proved to be the creme de la creme in the first of the circle-seeded heats as he won in 1:00.95, a full second ahead of Josh Bey‘s 1:02.15. Ohashi was 28.81, just .01 ahead of compatriot Naoto Takai, but Ohashi’s backhalf was unmatchable, with Takai settling for third in 1:02.33.
The last heat of the men’s 100 breaststroke was a tight affair, with the USA’s Campbell McKean and Joe Polyak going at it from the start but it was Canada’s Oliver Dawson who surged into the turn to lead at the 50, hitting the wall in 28.89. The trio fought over the last 50, but it was Dawson who held on to win the heat, recording a mark of 1:01.27. The two Americans were a little ways back, stopping the clock in 1:01.94 and 1:02.35.
GIRLS 400 IM– PRELIMS
- World Junior Record: 4:24.38– Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
- Meet Record: 4:36.79– Mio Narita, JPN (2022)
- All Comers Record: 4:31.46 – Stephanie Rice, AUS (2008)
Top 8:
- Lilla Bognar (USA) – 4:44.03
- Shuna Sasaki (JPN) – 4:44.74
- Misuzu Nagaoka (JPN) – 4:44.93
- Audrey Derivaux (USA) – 4:47.59
- Kamila Blanchard (CAN) – 4:51.86
- Amelie Smith (AUS) – 4:54.36
- Julia Remington (AUS) – 4:54.77
- Claire Watson (CAN) – 4:58.61
The first of the circle-seeded heats was a very young affair as the trio of the USA’s Audrey Derivaux (15) and the Japanese pair of Misuzu Nagaoka (16) and Shuna Sasaki (15) were separated by just .04 at 100-meter turn. Derivaux wasted no time on the back leg and opened up over a two-second lead at the halfway mark. However, the Japanese pair soon reversed the deficit and had nearly caught the young American by the 250 turns and, by the start of the freestyle, had themselves a two-second lead.
Sasaki, the younger of the two Japanese swimmers, just outouched her compatriot stopping the clock in 4:44.74, compared to Nagaoka’s 4:44.93. Derivaux tried her best to close the gap made by the breaststroke but fell back to finish in 3rd in 4:47.59.
Whereas as heat 2 had three early leaders, heat 3 saw five swimmers within range of one another with top seed Lilla Bognar of the USA leading the pack in 1:03.88 ahead of Japan’s Yuika Kaise (1:04.24) and Misa Okuzono (1:04.25). Bognar, much like Derivaux in the previous heat, used the backstroke leg to open up a lead as she touched over three seconds ahead of her nearest competitor, fellow American Kayla Han, who also made a strong push in the backstroke leg. Bognar opened up the lead in the breaststroke leg and looked smooth as she cruised into the finish, touching the wall in 4:44.03. Han, who was beside her in lane 5, would close the gap a little and appeared to stop the clock at 4:46.95 ahead of Kaise’s 4:49.68. I say “appear” as her result did not rank in the heat results displayed on the screen.
Han was later announced to have Dq’ed, not touching with two hands at the end of the breaststroke section.
BOYS 400 IM– PRELIMS
- World Junior Record: 4:10.02– Ilya Borodin, RUS (2021)
- Meet Record: 4:12.59 – Chase Kalisz, USA (2012)
- All Comers Record: 4:06.22– Michael Phelps, USA (2007)
Top 8:
- Luke Ellis (USA) – 4:21.29
- Gregg Enoch (USA) – 4:22.39
- Samuel Higgs (AUS) – 4:26.81
- Joshua Kerr (AUS) – 4:27.40
- Kazushi Imafuku (JPN) – 4:27.98
- Haruto Izumi (JPN) – 4:28.08
- Harrison Smith (CAN) – 4:33.21
- Inseo Lee (KOR) – 4:34.62
The first of the circle seeded heats saw Greg Enoch open up the lead at the 100 meter turn, hitting it in 58.45 ahead of the #2 overall seed Riki Abe by .25. Like the American women, in the event before, Enoch used a strong backstroke leg to open up a body length leafs ahead of Abe and Samuel Higgs of Australia.
Norvin Clontz of the USA surged on the breaststroke leg to contest for 2nd in the heat with Abe and Higgs. Clontz did his best to run down his compatriot, closing what had been a four-second gap at the 200-meter turn to just under a second as he closed nearly a full second faster on the last 50, finishing in 4:23.32 to Enoch’s 4:22.39. Higgs and Abe faded on the last 100 and finished in 4:26.81 and 4:29.04, respectively.
Sadly, per the 2 per country rule, Clontz’s heroics will not earn him a spot in the A-final as Luke Ellis‘s 4:21.29 from the last hear supplants him. Ellis, who set the Junior Pan Pac record in the 800 last night, was in a tight battle with Japan’s Asaki Nishikawa, with the pair of 18-year-olds swimming stroke for stroke over most of the 400 and only .13 separated the pair at the finish as Nishikawa finished in 4:21.16, just ahead of Ellis’s 4:21.29.
However, a few moments after finishing, Nishikawa’s time was changed to “DSQ.” As the live stream concluded with the 400 IM, there was no announcement about the reason.
