Pan Pacific Championships, Day Two Finals: Gabriel Jett Anchors U.S. to 800 Freestyle Relay Crown
Seventeen years ago, Rome was the site of a world-record blitz during the World Championships. At the height of the super-suit era, 43 global standards were set in “The Eternal City,” and while just a handful remain from that controversial period in the sport, they certainly reflect the nickname of the Italian capital.
One narrowly survived on Thursday night.
Behind a sensational anchor leg from Gabriel Jett, the United States dialed up the sixth-fastest performance in the history of the 800 freestyle relay at the Pan Pacific Championships, an effort that enabled the American squad to fend off Australia. Team USA, which had Luke Hobson, Aaron Shackell and Patrick Sammon on the first three legs, registered a time of 6:59.37, not far off the world record of 6:58.55.
Australia picked up the silver medal in 7:01.10, behind the quartet of Maximillian Giuliani, Kai Taylor, Charlie Hawke and Sam Short. The bronze medal went to Japan in 7:02.74.
Coming off a silver medal in the 200 freestyle on the opening night of the meet, Jett was faced with the task of holding off Short, the multi-distance star who recently enjoyed a spectacular Commonwealth Games and won the 800 freestyle at Pan Pacs. Jett never yielded to Short, and actually pulled away on the last lap, which was fueled by a huge final turn. Jett anchored in 1:44.09.
Prior to Jett closing out matters, Hobson backed up his win in the 200 freestyle by opening in 1:44.13 and was followed by Shackell producing a split of 1:44.23. Sammon, who was the silver medalist earlier in the session in the 100 freestyle, went 1:46.92 on the third leg.
In Rome, the American foursome of Michael Phelps, Ricky Berens, David Walters and Ryan Lochte united for a world-record effort of 6:58.55, taking just .01 off the United States’ time from the previous year’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Since that day, Great Britain has fired several shots at the standard, including a 6:58.58 at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Each time, though, the United States’ record has endured, and it survived another bullet at Pan Pacs.
“I’m grateful,” Jett said. “I can’t find the words right now. These are three of the best guys I get to swim against and now we get to go together.”
World-record aspirations heightended for the United States during the opening night’s 200 freestyle, where Hobson was the gold medalist in 1:43.85 and Jett picked up the silver medal in 1:43.96. Meanwhile, Shackell went 1:45-low in prelims of the 200 free and followed that effort up with a 1:45-mid during the consolation final.
Short was impressed with what Jett did on the anchor leg.
“He went 1:43 in the individual, so I was just trying to hang on for dear life,” Short said. “He blew off the wall toward the end. I was up and swimming and he’s still going underwater.”
