Rusty Phelps and reprieved Peirsol win at Pan Pacs
IRVINE, California (Reuters) - World champion and record holder Michael Phelps shook off a little bit of early season rust to win the men's 200 meters butterfly at the Pan Pacific Championships on Wednesday.
Although unhappy with a few technical points in his first event at the four-day meeting, the dominant American surged to victory in one minute 54.11 seconds at the William Woolett Jr. Aquatics Center.
"That was painful. Oh my God," Phelps, 25, told reporters with a broad grin after winning the most eagerly anticipated race of the evening. "There's still a lot of work to be done but I'm fairly satisfied.
"I split it a little better than this morning (in the heats) but there's some small technical things (to improve), the breathing off the 100 wall, that first stroke off the 100 wall. The fitness level is not there."
Phelps led throughout to record the best time in the world this year, with Australian Nick D'Arcy finishing second in 1:54.73 and Japan's Takeshi Matsuda third in 1:54.81.
In other events, world record holder Aaron Peirsol of the United States won the men's 100 backstroke after an unexpected reprieve in the morning and Australia's Emily Seebohm powered home in the women's 100 backstroke.
Phelps, who was roared on by a partisan crowd on a balmy evening, felt the pain over the last 15 meters of the race.
"I was like: 'Please get to the wall'. I felt the splash from the water in the lane next to me and I was like: 'Please don't get run down, please don't get run down'. So still a long way to go. A long way," he said.
Peirsol edged the 100 backstroke title in a tight finish with a Pan Pac record time of 53.31 seconds. Japan's Junya Koga was second in 53.63 and Australian Ashley Delaney third.
The 27-year-old Irvine resident had failed to qualify for the event in the morning heats after being beaten by two of his team mates but he gained a surprise place in the final when Ryan Lochte pulled out to focus on the 200 freestyle.
"I certainly owe Ryan something after the meet," Olympic champion Peirsol said with a smile. Only two swimmers from each country were allowed to compete in the eight-man final.
CONFIDENCE BOOST
Seebohm won the women's 100 backstroke, touching first in a meet record time of 59.45 seconds with Japan's Aya Terakawa in 59.59 and Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin of the U.S. third in 59.70.
"It's a great confidence boost for me, racing people like Natalie Coughlin," Seebohm said. "My coach just said race it like you want tonight and I was just trying to hold on."
Lochte, having surrendered his spot in the 100 backstroke final, put on an impressive late burst to win the men's 200 freestyle after trailing South Korean Park Tae-hwan midway through the race.
The 26-year-old American surged home in 1:45.30, the fastest time in the world this year, with Park second in 1:46.27 and American Peter Vanderkaay third in 1:46.65.
"I feel pretty good and I've done the training," Lochte said. "I have a lot more events coming up during this meet. I'm just going to go back and keep doing what I'm doing."
Freestyle specialist Cesar Cielo of Brazil was a surprise winner of the 50 butterfly, clocking the fastest time in the world this year with a Pan Pac record of 23.03 seconds.
Compatriot Nicholas Santos finished second in 23.33 with South African Roland Schoeman third in 23.39.
"I wasn't expecting the gold medal," a beaming Cielo, gold medalist in the 50 freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Games, said. "I just wanted to get ready for the freestyle events."
World champion Marieke Guehrer of Australia won the women's 50 butterfly in a time of 25.99 while American Allison Schmitt triumphed in the 200 freestyle, clocking 1:56.10.
The Pan Pacs, held every four years, have attracted 336 competitors from 21 countries and could serve as an early guide to the 2012 Olympic Games in London with the likes of Phelps still experimenting with their schedules.
(Additional reporting by Gerard Wright; Editing by Frank Pingue)
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Aaron Wells Peirsol (born July 23, 1983) is a former American swimmer who specialized in the... Read Full Story » -
Aaron Wells Peirsol (born July 23, 1983) is a former American swimmer who specialized in the... Read Full Story »
