Williamson sets Pan Pac record in 50m breaststroke
Sam Williamson set a new Pan Pac Championship record in the men's 50m breaststroke, finishing in a lifetime-best 26.36 seconds.
Video Transcript
From Australia, Sam Williamson, 2024 world champ of the 50 breast, won gold at the Commonwealth Games last month in Scotland in both the 50 and 100 breast.
He'll be in lane three.
Lane four, Michael Hooley from South Africa, silver at Commonwealth Games in this race for South Africa.
Pan Pac record time to be the number one qualifier here for the final.
Strong ovation for American Van Mathias, the American record holder in the 50 and 100 breaststroke.
Already won the 100 breast and helped the US set a mixed medley world record en route to gold.
Michael Andrew offer, also representing Team USA, world medalist in this race in his career, the 27-year-old in lane six.
Yamato Okidome, 21 years of age from Japan, came to the US for college, took the 100 and 200 yard breast national titles this past season for Cal.
And Joal Gomes Jr, two-time world medalist in this race, silver in 2017, bronze in 2019, still racing hard at age 40.
And Mathias, Rowdy, what a revelation.
He's on the coaching staff at Indiana after a two-year layoff from competition, back in the pool last summer, and he's going faster than any American man has gone in this event before.
Yeah, great story.
We've talked about him.
We've talked about Michael Hooley.
These two, these three guys, Van Mathias, Hooley, and Sam Williamson all separated this morning by six one-hundredths of a second.
They're the second, third, and fourth fastest swimmers in the world this year.
This is gonna be a good one.
Tokyo Monks.
Good start there in the middle of the pool.
Hooley had a great start, .61.
Mathias actually had the slowest start of those three guys.
Michael Andrew looking pretty racy in lane six, too, for Team USA.
Hooley there in lane four, Williamson lane three.
Mathias coming back, the reach.
Championship record- Oh for Sam Williamson and a tie for second, for silver between Hooley and Mathias.
You called it, Rowdy.
What a race.
Top three separated by six hundredths of a second Wow, a tie for second.
And again, six one-hundredths decided again from the prelims, take it right into the finals.
Now the champion in the 50 breaststroke And Mathias just 12 one-hundredths of a second off his American record.
But you just saw that Michael Hooley had that great start and the charge that Mathias had, but Sam, I mean, again, another tremendous swim by the Australian.
And a great, great session, great meet by the Australians.
He's got that yellow cap, three from the top.
And across the board right here, you look at those three guys, I mean, one, two, three.
I mean, they're all right there together and only six one-hundredths, there's the winner, and these guys tie.
Wow, here's another look as th- as they come down the stretch, Jason.
I mean, flip a coin.
I mean, they all make that lunge and, and really that final lunge, it really decides it with these guys Sam, congratulations on your win.
I love seeing your reaction at the end.
Can you explain to us why this win is so special, special to you?
I mean, f- first of all, thank you very much and thank you an amazing crowd.
You guys have made this meet incredible.
I mean, 15 months ago I got out of hospital after a terrible, terrible knee injury.
This time last year I was still on crutches.
I wasn't in the pool, I wasn't walking with So to come away with, you know, swimming in a world-class field, it's something I'm incredibly proud of and incredibly proud of everyone back home for getting me there.
But to come away with a win, it's, it's just that little bit more special.
So inspiring.
Who's the first person you're gonna go celebrate with?
I mean, it'll probably be my coach, 'cause my girlfriend's back home.
Congratulations.
Soak up this moment, and we are so proud of you.
And Team USA was getting really loud for this race.
It was so close.
Could you hear them?
I did.
Everyone's been calling it Van Pac, but- I tell you what, after tonight we might have to call it Sam Pac.
Whoa, mic drop.
Congratulations, Sam.
Enjoy every moment.
Thank you very much.
