Pan Pacific Championships, Irvine, California, day 4 finals:
Women's 200m Individual Medley
Just as the short medley was a thriller in Budapest, 0.01sec dividing gold and silver, the Irvine cliffhanger produced a to-and-fro ending with Emily Seebohm (AUS) cracking 2:10 and taking down world champion and record holder Ariana Kukors (USA), 2:09.93 to 2:10.25. The battle form bronze went to Caitlin Leverenz (USA), on 2:11.21, Julia Wilkinson (CAN) shut out in 2:11.32 ahead of Alicia Coutts (AUS) on 2:11.88.
On her way to the championship record that had stood at 2:10.11 to Whitney Myers (USA) since 2006, Seebohm won not just on her first-half strength but with a turn of speed on freestyle that stunned Kukors after the American had clawed back and gained a slight edge on breaststroke.
"It's a big boost for me," said a beaming Seebohm. The strategy? "...bash the first 100m and hang on as good as I could ... I wanted to go hard on 'fly, keep it up on backstroke, hold on breaststroke and mash the freestyle."
Kukors noted: "It's my fastest textile suit time. Emily just had a phenomenal race." The Australian's victory gave her the transatlantic lead by a fingernail over that other thriller of a short medley this summer, in Budapest last week, when Hungarians Katinka Hosszu and Evelyn Verraszto were divided by 0.01sec with Brit Hannah Miley pressing hard at the end.
Seebohm will meet Miley in October at Commonwealth Games in Delhi and will defend Aussie pride in the absence of Olympic champion Stephanie Rice, out awaiting shoulder surgery.
"There was a bit inside me that said without Steph here I have to step up and do her, and Australia proud,"said Seebohm. "It’s a bit of a boost for me tonight seeing that I’m up at her level and you know it would be great for the two of us to both be at the top of the podium together. I don’t care where at the top of the podium we are, as long as I’m there with her and we beat the yanks."
The women's 200IM is an event thar drives home the message about why drawing lines in record books to reflect changed race conditions would be wise. Kukors is world-class, a terrific athlete. That 2:06.15 is a different sport. As officials sit on their hands and speak platitudes ("we have faith in our swimmers and coaches ...) that place challenge back in the hands of athletes whose sport they screwed up, they might like to consider what they ask.
Trans-Atlantic splits (placing in brackets as races unfolded):
- Seebohm (1) 27.53 (1); 33.10, 1:00.63 (1); 38.52, 1:39.15; 30.78, 2:09.93
- Kukors: (2) 28.33 (2)l 32.82, 1:01.15 (1); 38.00, 1:39.15; 31.10, 2:10.25
- Hosszu: (2) 27.87; (3) 33.22, 1:01.09 (3); 38.97, 1:40.06; 30.03, 2:10.09 (1st) CR
- Verraszto (3) 28.06; (2) 32.40, 1:00.46 (2); 39.49, 1:39.95; 30.15, 2:10.10
- Miley (5) 29.12; (4) 32.95, 1:02.07; (4) 38.24, 1:40.31; 30.58, 2:10.89
Shiny best:
Kukors: 27.72; 59.24; 1:36.31; 2:06.15
Trans-Atlantic medals:
- Pan Pacs: 2:09.93; 2:10.25; 2:11.21
- Euro 1-3: 2:10.09; 2:10.10; 2:10.89
Records
Shiny suit era
- WR: 2:06.15 Ariana Kukors (USA) Jul 2009
- ER: 2:07.46 Katinka Hosszu (HUN) Jul 2009
February 1 2008
- WR: 2:09.72 Wu Yanyan (CHN) Oct 1997
- ER: 2:10.68 Yana Klochkova (UKR) Sep 2000
