Pan Pacific Championships, day 4 heats:
The two-per-nation in finals rule is at play once more and making Americans (in particular) tough, with two heats featuring four from the host nation at the helm in the battle for final places. Cesar Cielo (BRA) and Jessica Hardy (USA) set championship records to book lane 4 for their respective 50m free finals. World record holder Christian Sprenger missed the final of the 200m breaststroke. Michael Phelps misses 200Im as coach Bob Bowman says his star is not up to multi-eventing right now and wants to put up a good show in the 4x100 medley.
The fastest in the slowest distance free heats, with the fast heat a straight final this evening, were Charlie Houchin (USA) on 7:55.98 in the 800m and Yumi Kida (JPN) on 16:35.47 in the 1,500m.
Morning heats summaries
Women 200m medley
World champion and record holder Ariana Kukors (USA) had teammates Caitlin Leverenz (2:11.62), Morgan Scroggy (2:11.87) and Elizabeth Beisel (2:12.13) in her sights as she raced in the last heat and delivered a 2:11.44 answer: lane 4 for the final alongside Leverenz, the other two 3rd and 4th best in heats but gone under the two-per-nation rule. Next through, Julia Wilkinson (CA), on 2:12.15 and Alicia Coutts (AUS), 2:12.66, Kato Izumi (JPN) 12th on 2:14.99 but in the final courtesy of the national-team cut.
Men 200m medley
Michael Phelps did not swim. He's not quite as fit as he would like to be, the workload not quite what it ought to be, by his standards. Yet there it was: 48.13sec leading the relay off, the swiftest 100m free sprint in the world this year. Not quite up to scratch. Best in the world in down season in an event he has hinted as a London 2012 target. Third fastest ever in the wake of Beijing before 100% poly season. Fascinating, on all sorts of levels.
Coach Bob Bowman told reporters in Irvine this morning that Phelps told him Friday night that he didn't believe he could race the medley heats and final and still put in a good show for the US in the medley relay. Bowman's take: Superfish is just not fit enough for a multi-event programme right now.
Back to the medley: another Ryan Lochte/Tyler Clary show, 1:58.03 to 1:58.56 the stage-setters. Next through, Ken Takakuwa (JPN), 1:58.72, and Henrique Rodrigues (BRA), 1:59.37, with Leith Brodie first Aussie in, on 1:59.86, Thiago Pereira taking the second Brazilian berth, on 1:59.88, and Kosuke Hagino claimign the second Japanese slot, as first man in over the 2-minute mark. Last man in under the two-per-nation rule finished 14th this morning, Andrew Ford (CAN) on 2:02.79.
Women 50m freestyle
The morning after the evening victory over 50m breaststroke, Jessica Hardy (USA) left no room for doubt at the helm of the four Americans who clocked the best times: on 24.75, she set a championship record that took down the 25.03 of Amy Van Dyken from 1995 on her way to the 1996 Olympic crown. The second berth this morning went to Amanda Weir in 24.97, locking out Kara Lynn Joyce and Madison Kennedy, on 25.00 and 25.07 respectively. First non-American was Victoria Poon (CAN), on 25.16, with 14-year-old Yolane Kukla (AUS) on 25.18, the second Aussie berth going to Marieke Guehrer in 25.25, cutting out Alice Mills by 0.07sec and leaving room in the final under the national cut for Hayley Palmer (NZL), on 25.48. Closing the door, Flavia Delaroli-Cazziolato, a Brazilian with a name too long for the result sheet, on 25.52 in 11th, and Tomoko Hagiwara (JPN), on 25.74. Hardy is racing at her first major international championships for the US since returning from a doping bacn after testing positive for a substance contained in a food supplement. US head coach Mark Schubert recently sent out a letter to his troops warning all of the importance of knowing precisely what athletes are ingesting and reminding the world aquatic superpower why its federation does not recommend food supplements.
Men 50m freestyle
The 21.84 championship record of Cullen Jones (USA) is gone. Sprint emperor Cesar Cielo (BRA), Olympic and world champion, record holder and the first man in textile to get past Alex Popov's 21.64, booked lane 4 for the final in that exact time, 21.64. Next through, 100m champion and swiftest of the relay splitters last night, Nathan Adrian (USA) on 21.85, ahead of Brent Haydend (CAN), 22.04, Gideon Louw (RSA) 22.14 and, sealing the second US berth, the former championship record holder Jones, on 22.15, Jason Lezak back in 8th on 22.27 and out on the national cut. Bruno Fratus (BRA), 22.16, Aussies Ashley Callus, 22.18, and Cameron Prosser, 22.36, slamming the door to the final. Among those gone, former world record holder Eamon Sullivan, and Roland Schoeman (RSA), both with the Commonwealth Games ahead of them.
Women 200m breaststroke
The championship record of 2:23.64 set by the only winner of both Olympic breaststroke title at one Games, Penny Heyns (RSA) in the midst of a world-record-breaking rush in the summer of 1999, survived for what is likely to be a last time: Olympic champion of 2008, Rebecca Soni (USA), booked lane 4 in 2:23.97 at a cruise, with 2004 Olympic champion Amanda Beard taking the second US berth in 2:25.52, 0.38sec ahead of Micah Lawrence in 4th beyond Rie Kaneto (JPN) on 2:25.80. Sarah Katsoulis took the first Aussie berth, on 2:26.01, the world record holder Annamay Pierse (CAN) on 2:26.07 and the leading breaststroker of the past decade, Leisel Jones (AUS) on 2:26.16. Satomi Suzuki locked out teammate Fumie Kawanabe, 2:26.60 to 2:27.27, granting 11th placed Martha McCabe (CAN) the last place in the final on 2:27.47.
Men 200m breaststroke
Brendan Hansen and his 2:08.50 championship record for the US in 2006 stand as virtual targets for the man in lane four this evening in Irvine: the American's nemesis, Kosuke Kitajima (JON), quadruple Olympic champion, clocked 2:09.23, and could not have gone much slower without missing the final. After Eric Shanteau (USA), on 2:10.10, came Naoya Tomita, on 2:10.47, and Ryo Tateishi, gone on 2:10.55. First Aussie through was Brenton Rickard on 2:10.93, ahead of the 4th-best Japanese Yuta Suenega, on 2:11.38, Scott Spann claiming the 2nd berth for the US, on 2:12.15, with Craig Calder, on 2:12.42, taking a second place in the final for Australia, world record holder Christian Sprenger in 13th on 2:15.02. Shutting the door to the final eight: 10th-placed Henrique Barbosa (BRA), 2:12.57, and 12th-placed Scott Dickens (CAN) on 2:13.35.
