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Swimming Update 24/10/07 - 2007/10/24 14:00
KYLE AND KINGSCLIFF TRIO STAR IN DURBAN SWIMMING WORLD CUP
Brisbane-based sprinter Kyle Richardson has landed Australia’s only gold medal at the opening FINA Swimming World Cup meet in Durban, South Africa.
Richardson, 20, won the 200m freestyle in a time of 1:46.88 to notch his first World Cup victory over pre-race favourite, Frenchman Amaury Levaux (1:47.65) with fellow French competitor Fabien Horth third in 1:47.70.
Rounding off a successful two-day event for the Brothers club’s emerging star, Richardson also collected bronze in the 100m freestyle (48.73) and bronze in the 100m individual medley in 55.67.
The Telstra Dolphins team collected one gold, two silver and six bronze medals with the other medals going to, Kingscliff trio:
- Sophie Edington: Silver in the 20m backstroke 2:09.72); bronze in the 100m backstroke (59.60) and 50m backstroke (27.90)
- Tayliah Zimmer: Silver in the 50m backstroke (27.82); bronze in the 200m backstroke (2:09.76) and fourth in the 100m backstroke (59.66) and;
- Ethan Rolff : Bronze in the 200m backstroke (1:55.77).
EVENT REVIEWS, COURTESY OF FINA:
Men’s 200m Freestyle: If the victory of French Amaury Levaux was somehow expected, the triumph went to Australian Kyle Richardson, winner in 1:46.88 and deciding the race after the first 100m. Levaux, second in 1:47.65 was in difficulty to assure the silver and was closely followed by his South African Roland Schoeman, the favourite, won in 47.40 the best world performance of the 2007/2008 season, in front of his compatriot (and ascending star) compatriot Fabien Horth (1:47.70).
Men’s 100m Freestyle: Gerhard Zandberg with a new personal best of 47.81 – he also becomes the fifth African swimmer to perform this event under the 48 seconds (after Schoeman, Neethling, the Algerian Salim Iles, and the Kenyan Jason Dunford). The third place went to Australian Kyle Richardson (48.73).
Women’s 50m Backstroke: New record of the meet thanks to the German Antje Buschschulte, who as in the 2005/2006 season, beat the strong Australians Tayliah Zimmer (27.82) and Sophie Edington (27.90). With her time of 27.53, Buschschulte established the third best performance of the season.
Women’s 200 m Back: Second win for Antje Buschschulte (GER) in 2:08.31, new meet record, and as in the 50m a clear domination over the Australians Sophie Edington (2:09.72) and Tayliah Zimmer (2:09.76).
Men’s 200m Backstroke: Randall Bal joins the other triple gold medallists of the meet – Coughlin, Zandberg, Van Biljon and Lillhage – winning comfortably in 1:53.15, new meet record and third world time of the season. Vyatchanin (RUS) gets finally the silver in 1:55.30, after being third in the shorter distances. The bronze went to Australian Ethan Rolff (1:55.77), who gets his first podium in Durban.
Women’s 100m Backstroke: Presently, nobody has the possibility to challenge the best world swimmer in backstroke, the American Natalie Coughlin. In Durban, she once more displayed her elegant and efficient style (with turns and underwater performances that also make the difference) and easily won in 57.21, second best performance of all-time, behind her world record of 56.71. With this time, Coughlin also established a new meet record and the most valuable performance in Durban (1057 points). More than two seconds behind, Antje Buschschulte (GER) concluded in second (59.29), in front of Australians Sophie Edington (59.60) and Tayliah Zimmer (silver medallist at the 2006 Worlds in Shanghai), fourth in 59.66.
Men’s 100m IM: The expectations were high before this final in terms of the duel between South Africans Roland Schoeman and Gerhard Zandberg, but Schoeman withdrew thus allowing a comfortable victory for Zandberg in 53.93 (second gold of the day). Sergey Fesikov (RUS) was second in 55.43 and Australian Kyle Richardson third in 55.67.
Meanwhile the Durban squad will now join a further eight swimmers including Kenrick Monk, Grant Brits, Meagan Nay, Jennifer Reilly, Sam Hamill, Ashley Delaney, Robert Hurley and Mitchell Bacon in Singapore for round two of the World Cup this weekend, October 27 and 28.
The series will then swing into Sydney where the majority of Australia’s stars will compete at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre for the last time in a major competition before the Telstra Australian Swimming Championships / Selection Trials for the Beijing 2008 Australian Olympic Team in March next year.
TELSTRA DOLPHINS TOURING TEAMS FOR THE FINA / ARENA SWIMMING WORLD CUP
Durban & Singapore (19-20/10 & 27-28/10): Lara Davenport; Sophie EdingtonTayliah Zimmer; Kyle Richardson; Ethan Rolff; Greg Salter (Coach)
Singapore (27-28/10): Samantha Hamill; Meagen Nay; Jennifer Reilly; Emily Seebohm; Grant Brits; Ashley Delaney; Robert Hurley; Kenrick Monk; Mitchell Bacon; Leigh Nugent (Head Coach); Raylene Ryan (Manager); Tony Shaw (Coach)
Europe (Moscow 9-10/11, Stockholm 13-14/11, Berlin 17-18/11): Nicholas D'Arcy; Andrew Lauterstein; Nicholas Sprenger; Eamon Sullivan; Karina Leane; Alan Thompson (Head Coach)
Belo Horizonte (23-25/11 * morning finals): Adam Lucas; Andrew Mewing; Jonathon Newton; Christopher Wright; Leigh Nugent (Head Coach)
GRAND PRIX COUNTDOWN ON FOR AUSTRALIAN OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIPS
A maiden 10km victory to Telstra Dolphins Team captain, Grant Hackett at the Victorian 10km Open Water Championships over the weekend has signalled the countdown to the all important Australian Open Water Championships, now just seven weeks away.
The titles to be held at Sydney’s Penrith Lakes from December 8-10 will double as selection trials for the 2008 FINA World Championships and in the 10km event it will be the first steps towards qualification for Beijing.
A host of seasoned pool swimmers have followed Hackett’s lead in an attempt at Olympic Open Water qualification including rising Brisbane 1500 metre freestyle talent, Trent Grimsey and 2006 Commonwealth Games 800 metre silver medallist, Melissa Gorman.
Grimsey almost upset the two time Olympic 1500 metre champion over the weekend at Hazelwood Pondage, being out touched by just 0.47 of a second after almost 1 hour and 50 minutes of racing, with Felipe Araujo (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) third.
In the women’s 10km event Lucy Redgrove (Surrey Park, Vic) won her maiden open water event in 2hrs 04 mins 02 secs from Luane Rowe (Willoughby, NSW), 2:05:03 with Trudee Hutchinson (St Peters Western, Qld) third in 2:05:29
In the men’s 5km event Sam Sheppard (Nunawading Victoria) was first across the line in 1:00.48 from Riley Schmidt (Albury, NSW) in 101.08 and Trent Grimsey (Albany Creek, NSW) in 1:04.37
The remaining hit outs for competitors in the lead up to the Australian Championships will continue next month with round three of the Open Water Grand Prix heads to Brighton Beach, South Australia on November 10,11.
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