Kojima, Tierney, and Ekk in 200M Backstroke | 2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

We've seen some very strong freestyle racing this week from Keaton Jones and now it's his best event, the 200 backstroke, and this morning a 155.24 to claim the top spot in tonight's final. We have to get past Blake Tierney of Canada, the Pan Pac champion this week in the 100 backstroke. He's also the Canadian national record holder at 155.03 and it was Tierney on the opening 58.27 leading Jones and then Diehl of USA from lane two. Jones' lifetime best has him at number 22 all-time in this event. That's a 154.61. Tierney's Canadian record 155.0. Still Tierney 56.47 though the lead is just one 100th of a second between them. You've got Yumeki Kojima of Japan. He's in fourth with a 57.01. All right, Irvine, this is quite the race developing here. No clear winner with about 60 meters remaining. Pick a lane and send some energy their way. Swinburne looking good in lane one. Here comes Kojima now with a lead 29.4 over the third 50. No one matches that speed. Yumeki Kojima looking for a medal for Japan. Blake Tierney, can he catch Kojima in lane five? Continuing to pull away. Kojima with perfect head position all the way into the final touch. He dives in and wins the race with a 155.38. Gold for Japan in lane five. Silver for Canada in six. Blake Tierney 156.29 and a second medal for Canada with bronze in lane three. Ethan Eck 156.85. Let's hear it for your champion Yumeki Kojima. Congratulations on your win tonight. What does that victory mean to you? I'm aiming winning championships tonight, so I did it and I'm so happy with it. This race makes you very happy, right? Yeah, happy. You have a lot of fans here from Japan that are rooting you on. What would you like to say to your fans? Congratulations to our champion, Irvine. Give him some love.