Siroky swims lifetime best in 100m breaststroke
McKenzie Siroky secured the Pan Pacific Championships title in the women's 100m breaststroke, swimming a lifetime-best time of 1:05.32, the second-fastest time in the world so far this year.
Video Transcript
Mackenzie Saroki from the United States swam the 50 and 100 breast, winning national titles in Irvine a couple of weeks ago.
Gave up a college ice hockey scholarship to focus on her second sport, become an elite backstroker.
Tong Jianxin is one of those elite backstrokers in the world, Olympic silver in the 100 breast in Paris.
Past world championship performer as well.
Kate Douglas in breaststroke.
We know about her ability in the 200 breast, reigning Olympic and world champion.
Become more of a threat in the 100 breast as well.
There's Satomi Suzuki, couple of breaststroke Olympic medals in London 2012.
Still going strong here at age 35.
Alexande Lepage, and swam this event at Worlds last summer for Canada.
She's 20 years of age.
And Ella Ramsay from Australia, Olympic finalist in the 400 IM in Paris.
Also earned Olympic relay silver during those games.
Just off her life's- lifetime best in the heats.
And Rowdy, we know just how crazy versatile Kate Douglas is.
Sprint freestyle strong, and now distance breaststroke and learning to go faster here in the 100.
And I think the United States is desperately going to need her to be able to be very, very good in the 100 breaststroke.
Right here, Jianxin might be the favorite.
She will be maybe a second ahead of Douglas at the 50.
So you're gonna see two completely different 50s within this 100.
First 50 of the Chinese swimmer, Jianxin.
Second, of Douglas.
Take your marks.
And you would think with all that speed that Douglas has in the 50 freestyle, former world record holder, broke that this summer.
Olympic gold medalist in the 200.
That's versatility.
That is talent.
Right now, Douglas lane five.
Yeah.
Pushing hard.
Right there.
Saroki with her great speed in the 50.
Among the front runners, has the lead by less than 1/10.
Suzuki, the veteran from Japan, there in third.
This is great for Saroki.
We didn't even mention her along with Douglas and Jianxin in there, but here comes Douglas in that patented second 50.
She's right underneath Jianxin with that white cap.
Saroki hanging in there as well.
Tong, the Olympic silver medalist, giving a charge.
Douglas with her strength coming on strong in the back half.
Tong and Saroki, the American, coming in lane three.
To the wall.
Tong gonna be beaten out.
Saroki with the touch to win by 1/10 1/2.
Mackenzie Saroki continues her emergence.
A Pan Pacs champion.
Lifetime best for Saroki by 3/10.
Wow.
Yeah, we kept talking about China, US, China, US, but I was thinking about the other American, Kate Douglas, in there, who ended up fading to fourth in that race.
But Saroki, Mackenzie Saroki, wow.
The United States just found another 100 breaststroker.
That 1:05.32 is the second fastest time in the world this year.
What a swim by the 21-year-old.
And watch this last stroke everyone, because you see the two of them.
Douglas is out of it.
No doubt your eyes are now peeled to Saroki with the black cap, and then Tang right there.
There they are coming in the wall.
Watch the long finish of Saroki, but she had enough surge.
That's the key, the surge into the wall allows that long finish to grab the gold.
An American winning gold, but it's not Kate Douglas.
She ends up off the podium in fourth.
Mackenzie Saroki, the story, lifetime best, and a Pan Pacs title in Irvine.
Mackenzie, congratulations.
Your first international medal.
We saw a lot of big emotion after that win.
Can you put into words what this means to you?
I've just been praying today, so all glory to God, first and foremost, first and foremost.
I just appreciate the crowd here.
Being in home soil, like, really gets the energy going, makes it easy to swim fast like this.
And just having such amazing team and teammates who believe in each other each day.
What's your favorite thing about the team this year that's really kind of helped spur your momentum at nationals and then this week into Pan Pacs?
Just pushing each other in every little ways, and then just the positivity around the pool deck.
Everyone's pumping each other up behind the blocks and in the ready, tent for our team, so it's all good vibes.
Well, congratulations.
We are so proud of you.
Guys, give it up for your, for your 100 breaststroke champion.
