Celina Li dominates Women’s 400m IM prelims – Junior Pan Pacific Championships
Celina Li of USA dominated the preliminary rounds of Women’s 400m Individual Medley (IM) on second day of the 2012 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday, August 24.
Li dictated terms to her challengers throughout the discipline and made her way into the playoff as top contender for gold medal.
With her astonishing pace, she remained marginally ahead of her challengers throughout the event and secured the fastest qualification spot by producing a time of 4 minutes and 42.28 seconds.
Her commendable effort was followed by Becca Mann of USA, who snared second best spot of the qualifying round by submitting a time of 4 minutes and 42.63 seconds.
The second position holder was followed by Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson of Canada, who remained nearly two seconds apart and entered the playoff as third best finisher by reporting a time of 4 minutes and 44.54 seconds.
The Canadian swimmer was trailed by Keryn McMaster of Australia, who remained 2.03 seconds slower from her and qualified for the final round as fourth fastest swimmer by posting a time of 4 minutes and 46.57 seconds.
Fifth best qualification spot of the event was secured by Breanne Siwicki of Canada, who stayed almost 0.70 seconds slower and tapped the finishing blockade with a timing of 4 minutes and 47.23 seconds.
Subsequently, Siwicki was chased by Rika Omoto of Japan, who stayed 1.23 seconds behind and entered the playoff as sixth fastest swimmer with a timing of 4 minutes and 48.46 seconds.
Omoto was followed by Yui Ohashi of Japan, who stayed 0.93 seconds slower from her preceding swimmer and hit the wall with a timing of 4 minutes and 49.39 seconds for seventh position.
Ohashi was traced by Taylor McKeown of Australia, who was unable to upset any of her challengers and entered the final as eighth fastest swimmer. McKeown remained nearly 1.70 seconds slower and clocked a time of 4 minutes and 51.03 seconds for eighth best qualification spot.
Li was happy with her top finish in the preliminary round of the event and said that she would struggle hard to achieve the same in final.
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