The European Championships just ended in Budapest will provide a spur for fast times at Pan Pacific Championships that get underway in Irvine, California, tomorrow, says Leigh Nugent, head coach to the Dolphins.
After a five-day camp at the University of California, San Diego, and in Coronado, Nugent is confident that his 58-strong squad is ready to race the United States in home waters, Japan and others who will surely be out to cause upset.
"There are a number of different aspects to this meet," says Nugent. "There are people swimming for the remaining spots on the Commonwealth Games team, which is going to create a lot of competition within our team, as well as racing against the international athletes. To compete over a four day meet, in such a concentrated effort, it’s all about the racing and we are going to see some terrific swimming here I think, particularly after the European championships have just been swum this week."
Day one brings the 200m freestyle in which Michael Phelps gets a chance to show what difference a couple of weeks makes after he set the best time in the world in 2010 at US trials at the same Irvine venue before watching Paul Biedermann win the European crown a touch slower before shaving a slice off Phelps's season-best to get the better of Yannick Agnel, his French teenage nemeis over 400m, in the relay lead-off.
Ryan Lochte matches Phelps on the billboard of stars set to clash at the meet, with battle much anticipated between Leisel Jones (AUS) and Rebecca Soni (USA) on breaststroke and much interest in the men's backstroke events to see if the rest of the world is ready to respond to the gauntlet thrown down in Budapest by Camille Lacourt (FRA).
Australia is blooding a whole pool of newcomers to international senior waters: sprint bolter Yolane Kukla is joined by Daniel Arnamnart, Chris Ashwood, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Jayden Hadler, James Magnussen, George O’Brien, Mitchell Patterson, Cameron Prosser, Ben Treffers, Katie Goldman, Stacey Hansford, Samantha Hoschke-Edwards, Grace Loh, Samantha Marshall, Leiston Pickett and Tessa Wallace.
"To have so many young swimmers come here and make their debut two years out from the Olympics is such a great opportunity for them and it gives them some experience out of the cauldron of something like the World Championships or Olympic Games," said Nugent. "I think it’s a terrific time to launch a senior international career so to speak, here at the Pan Pacific Championships, and with two years to go until London I think this is a very important meet for us."
