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IRVINE, California, August 21. KATY Perry's "California Girls" greeted the U.S. contingent of Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer and Jessica Hardy over the loudspeaker at the finish of the women's 400 medley relay as the foursome of California-related swimmers claimed the title at the Pan Pacific Championships.
Cal Aquatics' Coughlin turned in a 59.85 on the backstroke leg, and turned the swim over to Trojan's Soni for a 1:05.35 breaststroke split. Cal's Vollmer then took control in the butterfly with a 56.91, before Trojan's Hardy clocked a 53.12 to finish the swim in 3:55.23. That effort lowered the meet record of 3:58.38 set by the U.S. back in 2006.
Australia's Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Alicia Coutts and Yolane Kukla led after the breaststroke leg, but Coutts could not counter Vollmer's powerful butterfly leg and finished with a second-place 3:56.96. Japan's Aya Terakawa, Suzuki Satomi, Yuka Kato and Haruka Ueda earned third in 3:57.75, while Canada's Julia Wilkinson, Annamay Pierse, Katerine Savard and Victoria Poon took fourth in 4:03.08.
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