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August 23, 2010

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Home » Sports » Swimming

Lochte snatches sixth Pan Pacs gold medal at Irvine

RYAN Lochte earned his sixth gold medal at the Pan Pacific Championships, just missing lowering his own world record in the 200-meter individual medley in Irvine, California, on Saturday.

The American's time of 1 minute, 54.43 seconds erased compatriot Michael Phelps' meet record set four years ago. Phelps dropped out of the event to focus on the 400 medley relay later.

The time was just off Lochte's world mark of 1:54.10 set at last year's world championships in Rome, where he won wearing a neck-to-ankle polyurethane suit. Those suits were banned starting this year, replaced by textile suits, and no long-course world records had been set since.

"I wanted to prove to everyone it wasn't a fluke," Lochte said. "I knew I had it in my sight. All the swims I had earlier in the week made me a little tired."

American Tyler Clary, runner-up to Lochte in the 400 individual medley, finished second in 1:57.61. Thiago Pereira of Brazil was third.

Nathan Adrian of the United States completed a sweep of the freestyle sprints, taking out the 50 by narrowly defeating world and Olympic champion Cesar Cielo of Brazil at the wall.

Adrian touched in 21.55 seconds, lowering the four-year-old meet record. Cielo, who earned a bronze in the 100 free, was also under the meet mark and finished in 21.57, off his world record of 20.91 set last December. Brent Hayden of Canada, second in the 100 free, was third in 21.89.

Two-time Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima of Japan led all the way in winning the 200 breaststroke with the world's fastest time this year.

He was timed in 2:08.36 after being under world-record pace on the first lap and a tenth of a second off it after 150 meters. Kitajima won the 100 breast earlier in the meet. Brenton Rickard of Australia earned the silver in 2:09.97. American Eric Shanteau took the bronze.

Olympic champion Rebecca Soni of the US briefly threatened the world record in the women's 200 breaststroke before settling for her second individual gold.

Soni won in 2:20.69, the sixth-fastest time ever that also lowered the 11-year-old meet record. Leisel Jones of Australia was second in 2:23.23. Annamay Pierse of Canada earned the bronze.

Emily Seebohm of Australia upset world champion Ariana Kukors to win the women's 200 IM. Seebohm led all the way and touched in 2:09.93.



 

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