Eric Hedlin of Victoria made a major splash in Japan on Monday. He hopes to make another there in two years at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Hedlin won the silver medal in the men’s 10K open-water event to close the 2018 Pan Pacific swim championships in Tokyo. Hedlin was across in one hour, 58 minutes, 56 seconds, behind winner Jordan Wilimovsky of the U.S. (1:58:50) and ahead of bronze medallist Nicholas Sloman of Australia (1:59:20). Salgad Enderica of Ecuador (1:59:27) and Allan Do Carmo of Brazil (1:59:23) rounded out the top 10. Hau-Li Fan of Vancouver was seventh in 1:59:26.
“I felt confident going in. It’s definitely encouraging … I’m on track,” Hedlin said.
“The main thing was to deal with the waves. But I maintained a smooth stroke and saved as much energy as I could. The other guys might have been stronger, but my lines were good and I was able to cut off a lot of the course. I wanted to come first, but [2015 world champion and Rio Olympian] Jordan Wilimovsky is a strong swimmer.”
Victoria-based three-time Olympian Stephanie Horner, who graduated from UVic’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, was top Canadian, eighth overall, in the women’s 10K. Horner was across in 2:10:59 behind winner Haley Anderson of the U.S. (2:08:24).
“It was not my best race, but you learn from every experience,” said Horner, who switched to open water at the 2016 Rio Olympics after competing in the pool at both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics.
“I’ve come a long way but still am not where I want to be. I’m not really satisfied where I am. I’ll keep going. My goal is 2020.”
Mackenzie Padington of Victoria via Campbell River, whose anchor leg helped Canada win 4x200 freestyle relay bronze in the pool earlier in the Pan Pacs, was scheduled to swim the open water women’s race. However, the NCAA Big Ten University of Minnesota Golden Gophers swimmer fell ill before the race.
Competitive open-water swimming became associated with the Island when Richard Weinberger won bronze at the 10K at the 2012 London Olympics and Hedlin silver in the 5K at the 2013 FINA world aquatics championships.
The Pan Pacific championships are a test event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The open-water events were originally scheduled for the central Tokyo Olympic venue, Odaiba Seaside Park, but were moved nearly 100 kilometres away to Hojo Beach in Tateyama because of water-quality issues during the week at the Odaiba Olympic site.
Hedin, the 2016-17 University of Victoria male athlete of the year, also took over as Canadian 1,500-metre champion in the pool that year to inherit the mantle once held for that distance by retired two-time Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane of Victoria.
But Hedlin, who like Weinberger majored in computer science at UVic, will continue specializing in open water.
Hedlin, Weinberger and Horner trained under legendary Victoria open-water swim coach Ron Jacks of the Pacific Coast/UVic Swim Club.
Canada had nine medals, with two golds, while the U.S. had 45 total medals, Australia 29 and Japan 24.
The Pan Pacs, held every four years, features charter nations Canada, Australia, Japan and the United States, along with others invited on a rotating basis.
The 2006 Pan Pacific championships were held at Saanich Commonwealth Place, with the Michael Phelps-led U.S. team setting six world records, including two individual by Phelps and another in a relay on Elk Lake Drive.
Canada won seven medals at the last Pan Pacs in 2014 in Gold Coast, Australia. But this Canadian team is vastly different.
Island Olympic medallists Cochrane and Hilary Caldwell are now retired, leaving the current Canadian team with an average age of 20.5 years.
The Canadian team was led by Taylor Ruck, who was born in Kelowna, before moving with her family to Arizona at 10 months old. Ruck followed up her all-time tied Commonwealth Games record of eight medals in April at Gold Coast with a Canadian-record five medals at the Pan Pacs.
“This sets my expectations higher,” Ruck said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to come back here in two years [for the Olympics].”
Kylie Masse of Windsor, Ont., was named top overall female swimmer in the Pan Pacs for her overwhelming victory in the 100-metre backstroke.
