Indiana University Athletics
Vaziri Wins Consolation Final of 100m Back at Pan Pacs
8/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Aug. 18, 2006
VICTORIA, B.C. - Leila Vaziri won the consolation final of the 100-meter backstroke at the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Swimming Championships at the Saanich Commonwealth Place Pool in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on Aug. 17, keeping her in contention for a spot on the U.S. World Championship team.
Vaziri, who will be a senior for the Hoosiers this season, posted a time of 1:01.53 to place first in the consolation heat. The Coral Gables, Fla., native finished fifth overall in the morning's preliminary session, but was the third American, relegating her to the consolation finals. Per Pan Pacific Championship rules, only two swimmers per nation can compete in a final.
American and world record-holder Natalie Coughlin won the morning's preliminary session with a time of 1:00.06, while compatriot Lauren English was fourth with a time of 1:01.68. Japan's Reiko Nakamura (1:00.97) and Hanae Ito (1:01.32) were second and third, respectively.
Vaziri swam a 1:01.82 in the morning session, just off the 1:01.69 she swam at the Conoco/Phillips National Championships on Aug. 2. With Coughlin and English bettering Vaziri's Nationals time in the prelims, Vaziri needed to beat English's best time in the finals to remain in the running for a spot at the FINA World Championships, set for March 17-April 1, 2007, in Melbourne, Australia. Vaziri did just that, as her finals time eclipsed English's prelim time, and English swam a 1:02.27 in the final.
Ito won the final in 1:00.63, upsetting the favored Coughlin, who turned in a time of 1:00.66.
Indiana alumna Kristen Bradley also competed on Aug. 17, finishing 38th in the preliminaries of the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 2:05.61. Bradley, a 2006 IU graduate, is swimming for the Canadian national team.
Vaziri and Bradley will both be back in action on Aug. 18, with Vaziri competing in the 100-meter freestyle and Bradley looking for a title in the 400-meter individual medley. Bradley won gold in the 400m IM at Canadian Nationals in July.
The Pan Pacific Championships feature more than 300 athletes from Pan Pacific charter members the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia, and several guest federations.
Complete results can be found daily at www.panpacs2006.com.
