Pan Pacific Championships: Australia Goes 1-2 in Women’s 200 Fly Behind Brittany Castelluzzo
The Commonwealth Games brought a wholesale reconfiguration of best times for Brittany Castelluzzo. The Australian kept the good times rolling in Irvine Wednesday night.
Castelluzzo won the women’s 200 fly at the Pan Pacific Championships. She lowered her championship winning time from Commonwealth’s to 2:06.24.
Second was countrywoman Elizabeth Dekkers in 2:06.56. Tess Howley of the United States was third in 2:07.43. The fourth-fastest time of the night was via Caroline Bricker in the B final at 2:07.94, though she was third among Americans in prelims to miss out on the locked A final.
Alex Shackell was the third American in the A final, and she finished fifth in 2:08.70, three tenths behind Chiho Mizuguchi of Japan. Shackell had been second at 150 meters, but her 35.30 was more than two seconds slower than the charge of Dekkers.
The bronze continued the breakthrough Howley produced at the 2025 World University Games. The University of Virginia standout set a meet record of 2:05.20 in the semifinals before winning the title in 2:05.69. Swimming World later selected the performance as its Under-the-Radar Female Performance of the Year.
Castelluzzo set best times in all three of her butterfly events in Glasgow. She won gold – with Dekkers in bronze – in the 200 fly and was fourth in the 100. She’s part of a group of Aussies who are parlaying success in the UK into impressive results in the U.S.A.
“I did a few PBs at Commies, so I just wanted to build on that and just do a little bit better this time,” Castelluzzo said. “And I did a another PB. So very happy.”
Asked how she found more speed in Irvine, Castelluzzo said she had rested briefly after Glasgow and then focused on “those tiny little things.” Asked for one word to describe the final 25 meters, she answered: “Death.”
“The first 50 is just trying to get into my groove and take it out as comfortable as possible, and then the second and third 50 really try and build the legs in there,” Castelluzzo said. “That last 50 is just absolutely extended. So just hurting the last 25, but that’s OK.”
The 200 fly in Irvine was diminished, certainly. World record holder Summer McIntosh, fresh off her revelation of a 2:01.79 at Canadian Trials in the spring, opted for the 200 free instead. American record holder Regan Smith also had to choose between the 200 fly and the 100 back, opting for the latter. Each won silver in their events Wednesday night.
