When Jack Conger returns stateside after these World University Games, the rising Texas junior will pack up at least one gold medal, but likely more, a silver and a bronze.
The former might find its way into a trophy display or hung on a wall alongside his other awards and medals, of which there are many, and might serve as a reminder of an emotional swim on a winning relay wearing the black cap of a U.S. finalist in an international competition. The latter two might as well end of in a shoebox, unwelcome souvenirs from consecutive individual disappointments.
In his second individual event in Gwangju, South Korea, Conger again finished shy of gold. This time, in the men’s 100-meter freestyle, the difference between a somber gaze and a toothy smile at the top of the podium was four-hundredths of a second.
Brazil’s Henrique de Souza Martins claimed the gold in 48.98 seconds, slipping past the 20-year-old in the final 10 meters of the race that Conger had led for all but the fractions of a second off the block and the final lunge for the wall.
[Watch race videos from Day 5 of the 2015 World University Games]
Conger hung on the wall after looking stunned as Martins celebrated in the lane next to him. Conger ticked another two-hundredths off his lifetime best, previously set Tuesday night during the semifinals, but was unable to replicate the emotional performance during the U.S. men’s winning 4×100 free relay and ultimately fell short of his own expectations.
He was slow off the Nambu University International Aquatics Center blocks — six-hundredths behind Martins reaction time which proved more than the difference in the race — and didn’t appeared to reach full speed until the first wall. The Rockville native rocketed off the turn, surfacing after nearly the entire field but with a lead over the field. That was the last time Conger showed any urgency in the race until the final five meters when Martins arms were churning past him.
Marco Belotti, a 2008 Olympian for Italy, took bronze in 49.43, edging the other American in the heat, Seth Stubblefield of Cal, by four-hundredths as well.
Later in the session, Conger did little to hide his displeasure at the result as he accepted his silver medal and token stuffed mascot — his second for a non-gold in an individual medal at these Games.
[2015 World University Games: Links, schedule and results]
It was a gut-check day for Team USA, which won only one medal across three finals Wednesday night.
After five days in South Korea, the United States own 21 total medals (10 golds, seven silver, four bronze) with two more days in the pool and an open water session to go.
Japan continued its impressive run at these Games and at international events in general, picking up another two medals to bring their total to 14 (four gold, five silver, five bronze). Italy grabbed a silver and a bronze on Day 5 to tie Australia with seven total.
[Andrew Seliskar fades late but U.S continues gold rush on Day 4]
The session began with the United States finishing off the podium again in a final, with Andrea Cottrell of Louisville touching fourth in the women’s 200 breast (2:28.08). Japan’s Keiko Fukudome and Reona Aoki topped the podium with times of 2:24.92 and 2:26.17, respectively. Czech Martina Moravcikova took bronze in 2:27.35.
Tennessee’s Molly Hannis finished seventh in 2:28.67.
Ling Yu of China claimed the final gold of the night, winning the women’s 100 butterfly in 57.83 — 10th best in the world. Italy’s Elena di Liddo was second (58.29) followed by Russia’s Katarina Listopadova (58.37).
Cal’s Felicia Lee, the lone American in the field, finished sixth in 58.91.
Thursday, the United States will have more chances for medals, advancing nine swimmers, including Nation’s Capital’s Carsten Vissering, out of the five semifinal events Wednesday — one shy of maximum.
[United States posts eight-medal night on Day 3 at World University Games]
Vissering, who missed finals in the 100 breast earlier in the meet, qualified eight overall with a sub-28-second finish in the men’s 50 breast. The future Southern Cal Trojan touched in 27.93 — edging ninth place by a hundredth of a second and reaching his first international final.
D.J. MacDonald of Ohio State also advanced, finishing fifth overall in 27.75. Italy’s Andrea Toniato topped the semifinals in 27.35, followed by Caba Siladi of Serbia in 27.41.
American Jacob Pebley qualified first in the men’s 200 backstroke, winning the second semifinal in a quick 1:57.01. The time, ranked 11th in the world this year, splits up top-ranked Americans Ryan Murphy (10th, 1:56.91) and Matt Grevers (12th, 1:57.43), who will swim worlds later this month,
Italy’s Christopher Ciccaresz and Japan’s Keita Sunama rounded out the top qualifiers in 1:57.79 and 1:59.14, respectively. Pebley’s Cal teammate Connor Green also reached the final as the sixth seed in 1:59.97.
Americans Shannon Vreeland and Leah Smith, both relay swimmers for worlds, swept the top spots in the women’s 200 free semifinal. Vreeland won the first heat in 1:59.15. Then Smith rocked a 1:58.79 to qualify first overall with a victory in the second. They were the only two under the two-minute barrier, with Martina de Memme of Italy rounding out the top three in 2:00.11.
The United States also advanced two in the men’s 100 butterfly, with Matthew Josa of Queens University of Charlotte finishing fourth overall (52.23) and Texas’s Matt Ellis sneaking in in eight (52.95).
In the women’s 50 backstroke, the only event the U.S. won’t have two in Thursday’s final, Elizabeth Pelton tied Yu Hyounji in the semifinal heats but fell short of the hometown favorite, who crushed her own South Korean record in the process with a time of 28.76.
Pelton’s Cal teammate Rachel Bootsma won the second semifinal in 28.13 and will be the top seed, followed by Kylie Masse of Canada (28.46).
