Pan Pacific Championships, Irvine, California, day 4:
Women's 200m Breaststroke
After Rome, where an elephant fell on her back on the way home, Rebecca Soni (USA) took it out in cooler fashion down the first 50m on her way to a fabulously smooth championship-record 2:20.69 victory. That marked the second best time we've ever seen in textile.
In their excitement, the pool commentators overlooked the 2:20.54 of Leisel Jones in a textile suit curt off at the knee back in 2006. Soni's was the second best swim we've seen and fell a little shy of the 2:20.12 shiny world record of Annamay Pierse (CAN).
Jones took silver in 2:23.23, Pierse bronze in 2:23.65, that red line out front a whole different sport. Next home Satomi Suzuki (JPN), 2:23.83, and then the comeback 2004 Olympic champion Amanda Beard (USA), on 2:24.30 3.61
Soni, coached by Dave Salo at Trojan in California, was a pool apart, her pace one that rivals simply cannot live with, Jones closest but not quite back to where she was when she was dominating the stroke in the past decade in the way that Soni is doing now.
Soni thatnked the crowd for lifting her in a race she entered with her nerves "going crazy". Could she get to that world mark? "I'm not sure. It's another season; next taper season maybe. But that was the best this season and I'm really happy with it."
Trans-Atlantic splits:
- Soni: 32.36; 1:07.58; 1:43.91; 2:20.69
- Jones: 32.51; 1:08.54; 1:45.41; 2:23.23
- Pierse: 32.55; 1:08.85; 1:46.01; 2:23.65
- Chaun: 34.00; 1:10.29; 1:47.00; 2:23.50
Trans-Atlantic medals:
- Pan Pacs: 2:20.69; 2:23.23; 2:23.65
- Euro 1-3: 2:23.50; 2:24.42; 2:24.99
Records
Shiny suit era
- WR: 2:20.12 Annamay Pierse (CAN) Jul 2009
- ER: 2:21.62 Nadja Higl (SRB) Jul 2009
February 1 2008
- WR: 2:20.54 Leisel Jones (AUS) Feb 2006
- ER: 2:24.03 Agnes Kovacs (HUN) Sep 2000
