Victorian Institute of Sport’s Jessica Hansen had a Pan Pacific’s Championship she’ll never forget, collecting a silver medal in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke and gold in the 4x100m Medley Relay in Tokyo last week.
In a personal best time of 1:06.20, Hansen finished less than a second behind Olympic and World Champion Lilly King of USA, in the 100m Breaststroke final.
“This may be a silver medal around my neck but it feels like a gold to me.” Hansen said.
But the event that can’t be forgotten was the Women’s golden 4x100m Medley Relay which included Hansen, Emily Seebohm, Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell.
Hansen swam a split time of 1:05.82 in her breaststroke leg, with Campbell reeling in America’s Simone Manuel to bring Australia home and clock a new Championship record of 3:52.74 – a touch outside the Commonwealth and Australian records.
Meanwhile, fellow VIS scholarship holder, Mack Horton, was out touched on the line by teammate, Jack McLoughlin, in the Men’s 400m Freestyle, having to settle for a bittersweet silver medal as he had previously beaten McLoughlin earlier this year at the Commonwealth Games.
In a timed-final Men’s 800m Freestyle event dominated by American’s, Horton gave his all but ultimately was outclassed in his heat touching in 5th leaving him 6th overall with a time of 7:53.42.
Whilst the Pan Pacs went ahead on the other side of the World, VIS’ Madeleine Scott and Ashleigh McConnell swam at the Para Pan Pacs a little closer to home in Cairns.
Both Scott and McConnell had a large array of results, but it’s hard to go past Scott’s impressive SM9 200m Individual Medley swim, in which she was first to the wall to take gold in a time of 2:40.38. This performance topped the bronze medal she won earlier in the 100m SB9 Breaststroke (1:24.40).
Whilst McConnell didn’t medal in any individual events, she certainly didn’t walk away empty handed, helping her Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay team across the line for the silver medal.
