Pan Pacific Championships, Day Two Finals: Jack Alexy Mines Gold in 100 Freestyle; USA Set for 400n Freestyle Relay
A little more than two weeks ago, Jack Alexy walked away from the 100-meter freestyle at the United States National Championships with a seventh-place finish. The performance he logged was sluggish and – at least temporarily – raised slight concern over his potential for the fast-approaching Pan Pacific Championships.
However, a deeper look at Alexy during Nationals revealed some key clues. He was bearded for that 100 freestyle, and the Team USA veteran exited the pool focused on the near future. Deep down, Alexy knew there were more significant moments ahead, and he would be ready to flourish upon his return to the William Woollett Aquatics Center.
The proof arrived on Thursday night.
Bolting to the front of the field on the opening length, Alexy battled over the back half of the race and touched the wall in 47.14 to grab gold at Pan Pacs. His title led a one-two finish for the United States, with Patrick Sammon securing the silver medal in 47.62. Bronze went to Brazilian Gui Caribe in 47.89.
Alexy pressed the pace from the start, splitting 22.41 at the midway point, before coming home in 24.73. His time was good for a championship record, as it beat the 47.16 that Chris Guiliano turned in to win the consolation final. Alexy indicated he was aware of Guiliano’s time.
“It’s been a challenging season,” Alexy said. “It’s my first year out of college as a pro and I’m proud of how I’ve handled my emotions. (Guiliano) set the stage and I tried to go off that energy.”
Alexy has firmly established himself as one of the United States’ premier male swimmers, an athlete who can be routinely counted on during both individual and relay duty. The American women have plenty of such individuals, but the men have been thin in that category, distance star Bobby Finke the most-consistent presence. For Alexy to further cement his status as a go-to guy – and generate momentum – is a positive development on the road to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
A finalist in the 100 freestyle at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Alexy also helped the United States to the gold medal in the 400 freestyle relay, handling the leadoff leg. Last summer, at the World Championships in Singapore, is where Alexy truly surged to another level. The Cal-Berkeley standout was the silver medalist in the 100 freestyle and the bronze medalist in the 50 free. More, he broke the 47-second barrier in the 100 free on multiple occasions, including an American record of 46.81.
This year, Alexy has sought out frequent racing opportunities, traveling to the China Open in March and to the Mare Nostrum Series in Europe. He also made that trip to Nationals, where he knew he wasn’t in peak form, but was seeking to familiarize himself with the pool and venue.
“Nationals was all about building for this,” Alexy said. “I had never been to this pool and wanted to get here. I treated it as practice and the chance to get in some reps.”
The performances from Alexy and Sammon, along with what Guiliano and Destin Lasco (47.78) did in the consolation final, suggest the United States could take aim at the world record in the 400 freestyle relay on Friday night. The record in that event, a 3:08.24, has been on the books since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, when Jason Lezak delivered the greatest anchor leg in history to rally the U.S. to gold over Alain Bernard and France.
“I’m excited for the 400 free relay,” Alexy said.
