Pan Pacific Championships, Day Three Prelims: Van Mathias Chasing 50 Breast Crown
Fresh off his win in the 100 breaststroke and near miss of his American record, Van Mathias will be in the pool again on Friday morning at the Pan Pacific Championships in the 50 breast.
Mathias is the top seed in the event at Irvine’s Woollett Aquatics Center. It’s the last of four in the morning session on Day 3. It’s one of many that will include pitched battles for placement among Americans, with the 100 fly in particular a daunting contest.
All the action:
400 freestyle
Sam Short set the pace by winning the final heat in 3:44.34 to grab the top seed. Fourth was countryman Elijah Winnington in 3:45.48, also out of the final heat, with China’s Zhang Zhanshou in 3:45.17 and Aaron Shackell’s 3:45.23 between them.
Zhang won the third heat of four with a final-50 charge after Shackell had led the entire way. The Chinese swimmer’s long, fluid stroke added power coming home in 3:45.17, .06 up on Shackell. Benjamin Goedemans of Australia surged to third in the heat but third among Aussies in 3:46.07 for a B final spot.
Rex Maurer advance as the second American with his 3:47.12 in the second heat, besting Luke Hobson’s 3:48.97. Maurer was eighth overall.
Kazushi Imafuku was fifth for Japan, with Tatsuya Murasa ninth and in the A final. The other A finalist is Stephan Steverink of Brazil.
100 butterfly
Matthew Temple set the best time at 50.84 seconds, .02 ahead of Luca Urlando. The American set his best time in 50.86, nearly a half-second quicker than his seed. The champion of the 50 fly, Ben Armbruster, was third in 50.98 to ease into a final-eight spot.
There is drama, though. Third overall is a tie between Americans, with Dare Rose and Shaine Casas both going 51.17. A resolution, potentially by swim-off, is required for one to get into the A final and one the B (each final has a maximum of two participants per nation). Thomas Heilman and Harrison Turner tied for fifth overall, but that doesn’t matter since both are bound for the B final.
The A final also will include Japan’s Shoon Mitsunaga and Katsuhiro Matsumoto, with Chen Juner of China in between them.
200 backstroke
50 breaststroke
