Pan Pacific Championships, Irvine, California, day 1 finals:
Women 200m butterfly
She had a go-through-the-motions morning but world champion Jessica Schipper (AUS), coached by Stephan Widmer, moved when she needed too, sitting on the shoulder of Teresa Crippen (USA) throughout the four-lap battle before getting the edge for gold in a thriller than came down to 2:06.90 to 2:06.93, the bronze going to Kathleen Hersey for the hosts in 2:07.27. For Schipper, success also meant that she held on to the crown she won in 2006.
The paper transatlantic match was stroke-for-stroke too, Katina Hosszu (HUN) having taken the crown in 2:06.71, the minor spoils just over 2:07. Of course, it is the race that tells and sorts and sifts. In Irvine, the medals hunt was a body ahead of the chasing pack led by Audrey Lacroix (CAN), on 2:08.32. All home in 2:12.91.
"The last 25m of the race hurt a lot, but I just put my head down and thought if I drown someone will jump in and save me," said Schipper. "Ten years of 200m butterfly and you learn ways to deal with the last 25m of the race. You know you’re going to live through it, most of the time. Leading into the meet I spent a couple of weeks out of the water with a back injury so that makes the win tonight for Stephan (Widmer) and I extra special."
Trans-Atlantic splits:
- Schipper 28.04; 1:00.63; 1:33.32; 2:06.90
- Crippen: 28.65; 1:00.43; 1:33.19; 2:06.93
- Hersey: 28.94; 1:00.83; 1:33.95; 2:07.27
Trans-Atlantic medals:
- Pan Pacs: 2:06.90; 2:06.93; 2:07.27
- Euro 1-3: 2:06.71; 2:07.06; 2:07.54
Records
Shiny suit era
- WR: 2:01.81 Liu Zige (CHN) Oct 2009
- ER: 2:04.27 Katinka Hosszu (HUN) Jul 2009
February 1 2008
- WR: 2:05.40 Jessica Schipper (AUS) Aug 2006
- ER: 2:05.61 Otylia Jedrzejczak (POL) Jul 2005
The helm of the 2010 world rankings is still in the hands of Jiao Liuyang (CHN), Olympic silver medallist in 2008, on 2:05.46
Men 200m butterfly
Michael Phelps is back where he likes to be in his signature event, out front at the helm of the world rankings once more. In 1:54.11, after leading and heading off the challenges of Nick D'Arcy (AUS) and takeshi Matsuda (JPN) from go to gold, Phelps, coached by Bob Bowman, fell 0.31sec shy of the 2006 championship record he set in Victoria, a reflection of the down-play season the 14-times Olympic winner is living through a decade into life in the cauldron of international competition.
Phelps's rivals came back at him on the way home, all three men in his wake faster down the last length but by then the damage had been done. D'Arcy was never far away and took silver in 1:54.73, bronze going to Olympic bronze medallist Takeshi Matsuda (JPN), in 1:54.81, that locking out Wu Peng (CHN), on 1:55.36. All home in 1:57.94. The European crown went to Pawel Korzeniowski (POL) in 1:55.00 last week.
"The last 50 hurt," Phelps told Beth Harris at AP. "I was just like, 'Please, get to the wall.' I felt the splash of water in the lane next to me, and I was like, 'Please, don't get run down.' The fitness level is just not there."
Phelps was critical of his technique on his way to his 31st consecutive victory in a 200m 'fly final that stretches back to his defeat by 2000 Olympic champion and teammate Tom Malchow at 2002 Pan Pans, a loss that was pivotal in his career.
When asked 'How, Michael, do you define defeat?' in his last interview of the past decade, Phelps told SwimNews: "I think it can be a number of different things. If I do a best time and get beaten, there's nothing else I can do at that point. I did what I was prepared for. I can look at defeat as a motivator, that is part of the biggest thing you can look at it as; after [Tom] Malchow [200m butterfly Olympic champion, 2000] defeated me at Pan Pacs [Pan Pacific Championships] in 2002, I didn't ever want to lose that race again. That's something that even today still sticks in my mind. So little things like that that will get you a little extra-motivated are important. You will always have that feeling after defeat - it's a much worse feeling than after a win. Defeat really sticks with you. I look at defeat as something that's always helping. It's taught me never to have that feeling again and If I'm not prepared when I have a defeat then I will make sure next time that I am prepared."
A measure of Phelps: his best is 1:52.09 in textile; his Irvine time the 6th best textile time of his career just outside the 1:54.04 in which he claimed the 2004 Olympic crown; Phelps has 11 of the best 20 times ever set in the event.
Trans-Atlantic splits:
- Phelps: 25.35; 54.25; 1:23.67; 1:54.11
- D'Arcy: 25.46; 54.79; 1:24.45; 1:54.73
- Matsuda: 25.67; 54.82; 1:24.65; 1:54.81
- Korzeniowski: 25.99; 55.16; 1:24.89; 1:55.00
Trans-Atlantic medals:
- Pan Pacs: 1:54.11; 1:54.73; 1:54.81
- Euro 1-3: 1:55.00; 1:56.13; 1:57.10
Records
Shiny suit era
- WR: 1:51.51 Michael Phelps (USA) Jul 2009
- ER: 1:52.70 Laszlo Cseh (HUN) Aug 2008
February 1 2008
- WR: 1:52.09 Michael Phelps (USA) Mar 2007
- ER: 1:54.62 Franck Esposito (FRA) Apr 2002
