Hansen’s swim was his second world record of the week after shattering the mark in the 100m breast on Tuesday. His only obstacle in Saturday night’s race was the clock, and not even that seemed to matter as he was ahead of world record pace the entire way.
Eric Shanteau (Lilburn, Ga.) of Swim Atlanta was second in 2:11.38, while Olympian Scott Usher (Grand Island, Neb.) of Wyoming Aquatics was third in 2:11.96.
“The 200’s my baby,” Hansen said. “It’s been my event since I was a little kid. It’s my favorite event. I knew that if I was really fast in the 100, that coming out here in the 200 I was going to be pretty quick.”
Hansen was less than a second off his prior world record after this morning’s prelims, and was anxious to race in the finals.
“It just boosts your confidence even more when you have a prelim swim like that,” Hansen said. “The only way I was really going to stay calm (between prelims and finals) was to sleep. I took a nap, and I woke up and was hanging out with my roommate (Ian) Crocker, just talking about how easy the morning was and I knew the 200 was going to be there if I swam it right.”
In the women’s 100m free, Weir finished more than half a second ahead of five-time Olympic medalist and former American record holder Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.) of Cal Aquatics (54.25) and Lacey Nymeyer (Tucson, Ariz.) of Tucson Ford Dealer Aquatics (54.47). Kara Lynn Joyce (Ann Arbor, Mich.) of Athens Bulldog Aquatics was fourth in 54.67.
Coughlin took the lead with a great start and led the field as it headed into the first wall. Weir, who was third at the 50-meter mark, surged at the turn and built her lead as she headed into the finish.
“I just felt like this was my time to drop a lot,” Weir said. “It sounds bad to say you expect it, but I feel like you have to see yourself doing it, and I knew that I was capable of doing it.
“It’s always great to have competitors like Natalie and Kara. That whole heat was amazing. That always helps.”
Though no records were set, the men’s 200m back was probably one of the most anticipated match-ups of the evening. Superstars Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.), Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) and Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) went head-to-head. At stake was Peirsol’s unbeaten streak in this event, which dates back to 2001.
Turns out Peirsol of Longhorn Aquatics would hold on to it for at least one more race, winning Saturday night with a time of 1:56.36. Phelps of Club Wolverine was second in 1:57.09, falling just short of his bid for a sixth national title this week, and Lochte of Daytona Beach Swimming was third in 1:58.13.
“That was foreign to me in many respects, and that was good,” Peirsol said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been pushed in that race, to that level, anyway. We were all out for one thing only, which was to win.”
Lochte jumped out ahead of the field with a strong start, but the three were pretty much even throughout most of the race and all turned together at the 150-meter mark. That’s when Peirsol began to separate himself from the rest of the field. His performance was the fifth-fastest of all time.
“You can try to break world records on your own time,” Peirsol said. You try to win races like that any way you can.”
Earlier in the meet, Peirsol’s sister Hayley of Club Wolverine (Irvine, Calif.) won the 800m free with a time of 8:26.45, overpowering world champion Kate Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.) of The Fish in the final 150 meters. Ziegler finished with a time of 8:27.65 The two turned in the second- and third- fastest times in the world this year.
The 800 was a rematch for the two swimmers, who met earlier in the week in the 400m free. It was Ziegler who won that race, surging ahead of Hayley Peirsol and Katie Hoff (Baltimore, Md.) in the final 30 meters of the race.
In the 800, the two were neck-and-neck for the first 650 meters, when Peirsol made her move. She built a body-length lead heading into the final turn and was able to hold off Ziegler’s charge in the last length. Kelsey Ditto of Longhorn Aquatics was third in 8:33.46.
“I think more than anything, going into that race, I was just anxious to get over with it, and when I finished, it was definitely more of a relief than anything else,” Peirsol said. “That’s what I live for – racing. More than anthing. It hurts, but it doesn’t kill you, so it makes you better.”
