Pan Pacific Junior Championships 2024
BOYS 800 FREESTYLE
- Junior World Record: 7:43.37 – Lorenzo Galossi, ITA (2022)
Competition record: 7:55.16 – Bobby FinkeUnited States (2016)- All-Comers Record: 7:40.39 – Sam Short, AUS (2023)
RESULTS:
- Luke Ellis (USA) – 7:52.40 (Competition record)
- Kazushi Imafuku (Japan) – 7:53.99
- Kaito Tsujimori (Japan) – 7:54.50
- Luka Mijatovic (USA) – 7:56.91
- William Mulgrew (USA) – 8:01.63
- Ethan Ekk (Canada) – 8:01.75
- Aiden Hammer (USA) – 8:05.22
- Tex Cross (Australia) – 8:09.04
American Luke Ellis On the first day of competition, he spectacularly broke the Junior Pan Pacific Championship record in the 800m freestyle, beating the old standard by almost three seconds and setting a new personal best of 7:52.40.
The previous competition record was 7:55.16, set in 2016 by Olympic champion and world record holder Bobby Finke.
Ellis entered the competition as the clear favorite; he was the top seed in this event and had entered with a time of 7:54.26, which was already under Finke’s old competition record time.
Ellies led for much of the race and shared an almost perfectly even swim: his first 400m took 3:56.21, while he completed his last 400m in 3:56.19.
While Ellis took the record and the title, all three medalists in the 800-meter race remained under the previous record time. Kazushi Imafuku achieved a time of 7:53.99, while teammate Kaito Tsujimori With a time of 7:54.50 he completed the podium.
Not only did Ellis set a new meet record, but his performance also improved the performance in this event by nearly two seconds, moving him up the list of the best age group swimmers of all time.
The 18-year-old was previously ranked 11th in the list of the best competitors in the 17-18 age group; his record-breaking performance saw him move up one place and make him the 10th fastest competitor of all time in his age group in the 800m freestyle.
With his time of 7:51.45 at the 2018 Summer Nationals, Finke is still in 7th place on the all-time list.
