Paris Open: Randall Bal Lowers American Record in 50 Back During Day One Finals

PARIS, France, August 2. THE first night of semifinal and final action began at the Paris Open on Thursday evening. Most notably, Randall Bal lowered his American record in the men's 50 back to a time of 24.84 for the fastest time in the world this year.

One of our European correspondents, Steven Selthoffer, is at the meet. We have included his notes and quotes in italics.

Emotion, elegance, charm and performance; all the attributes of Paris are combined here at the inaugural EDF French Open Swimming Championships, August 2 through Sunday, August 5 at the Main Pool, Lagardere Paris Racing Center. More than 300 swimmers are in attendance and competing from more than 24 countries including the USA, Israel, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, New Zealand and Japan.

The Open EDFdN is complete with a full Olympic program including 18 men's and women 's events (Total: 36 Events) with morning heats only and semi-finals/finals in the evenings.

With exactly one year to go before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Open EDFdN event organization committee opted out of the sub-standard IOC NBC 2008 Beijing Olympic Games morning finals format.

The same format of morning heats and evening finals, is planned also for the main European Olympic qualifying meet, the LEN 2008 European Swimming Championships, next March 13th- 24th, 2008, in Eindhoven, Netherlands, at the new Tongelreep National Swimming Center, home to PSV Eindhoven 100m freestyle, world-record holder, Pieter van den Hoogenband, Dutch national coach, Jacco Verhaeren, Marleen Veldhuis, Inge Dekker, Hinkelien Schreuder, Mitja Zastrow and former world-record holder, and University of Michigan star, Group Coach, Marcel Wouda.

French hospitality is running par excellance. Aaron Peirsol, USA, "I tried to get a lot of my friends to come from Texas, but, they're missing out. It's really great here."

Men's 50 backstroke Semifinals
The United States' Randall Bal earned lane four during the championship heat of the men's 50 back with a time of 25.46 in semis. He finished ahead of world-record holder Thomas Rupprath of Germany, who took second in 25.61.

Croatia's Marko Strahija grabbed third in 25.78, while Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin took fourth in 26.09.

Germany's Helge Meeuw (26.17), Croatia's Ivan Tolic (26.44), Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer Faber (26.46) and Israel's Ilia Ayzenshtok (26.63) will also compete for the title.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Women's 50 breaststroke Semifinals
European-record holder Zoe Baker, previously of Great Britain but now representing New Zealand, topped semis with a readout of 31.38. Germany's Janne Schaefer clocked a 31.67 for second, while Russia's Elena Bogoazova took third in 31.71.

Austria's Mirna Jukic (32.33), Sweden's Hanna Eriksson (32.34) and Germany's Sarah Poewe (32.35) placed fourth through sixth, while Hungary's Agnes Kovacs (32.54) and France's Sophie De Ronchi (32.56) earned the final championship final transfer spots with seventh and eighth, respectively.

Notably, the United States' Amanda Beard placed 10th in 32.69 to miss finals.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Men's 200 freestyle Finals
Russia's Andrey Kapralov clocked the ninth-fastest effort in the world this year with a triumphant time of 1:47.89. The performance stands before China's Zhang Lin's 1:47.53 set at the World Championships this year.

In comparison to the other big meets throughout the world over the past few weeks, Kapralov's time ranks second behind Filippo Magnini's 1:47.18 to win the event at the Italian Championships in July.

Canada's Brent Hayden tied with Poland's Pawel Korzeniowski with matching 1:48.21s, which both rank among the top 15 in the world this year.

On the opening night, with the Men's 200m Free starting the finals, Brent Hayden, CAN, led off with a fast start, accelerating the first 50m and out in a 53.06, second to Andrey Kapralov, RUS, in 52.28. Massimiliano Rosolino, ITA, qualifying earlier in third, with a 1:49.64 qualifying time, caught the leaders at the 150 and began to make his move in the second 100. However, it was Andrey Kapralov, RUS, staying strong and hanging on to win in a time of 1:47.89. With Brent Hayden, CAN, and Pawel Korzeniowski, POL, tying for second in 1:48.21. Hayden said, "I have been working on my start for the last year and a half. It really surprises you when it works. I said to myself during the race, 'What am I doing here? (in the lead so soon)' Normally, I am last, but, I have been working hard with my coach on it." Commenting on Michael Phelps, Hayden stated, "He's just so talented. Someday I will be able to tell my kids that I swam against him."

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Women's 100 freestyle Semifinals
Canada's Erica Morningstar touched out world-record holder Britta Steffen for the top seed in the women's 100 free finale. Morningstar clocked a 55.35 in heat one, while Steffen took second in 55.49 from heat two.

Morningstar had to hold off Germany's Petra Dallman in the first heat, as Dallman turned in a third-place 55.61, while France's Alena Popchanka placed fourth in 55.65.

France's Celine Couderc (55.78), Czech's Jana Klusackova (56.08), Spain's Tatiana Rouba Bieniarz (56.14) and Great Britain's Melanie Marshall (56.31) will comprise the rest of the championship final.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Men's 100 butterfly Semifinals
With the men's 100 fly prelims just wrapping up at the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis, Russia's Nikolay Skvortsov paced the Paris Open semifinal round with a time of 52.71. The time would have taken third in the US National prelims, as Ian Crocker (52.36) and Ben Wildman-Tobriner (52.53) clocked fastest times in Indy.

Touching just behind, Ukraine's Denys Sylantyev took second in 52.91 to barely beat compatriot Artem Pron's 52.96.

Sweden's Lars Frolander (53.08), Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin (53.49), Germany's Benjamin Starke (53.65), Canada's Adam Sioui (53.67) and France's Clement Lefert (54.00) rounded out the rest of the top eight.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Women's 200 Butterfly Finals
European-record holder Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland put a bit of a scare into Jessicah Schipper's world record of 2:05.40 when she cruised to victory in 2:05.92, just off Jedrzejczak's Euro standard of 2:05.61.

Germany's Franziska Hentke won a close race for second in 2:08.68, while Hungary's Beatrix Boulsevicz claimed third in 2:08.86.

Shaking out behind the starting block, Otylia Jedrzejczak, POL, gave no hint of what was to come. Standing oblivious to the crowd, she adjusted her goggles and went about business as usual, stepping on the block in Lane 4 she bent over for the start. At the first 100 there was nothing special in the air, out in 1:01.27, with Franziska Hentke, GER, 1:01.62 and Beatrix Boulsevicz, HUN, at 1:01.72. Then at about 130m into the race, she pulled ahead and started stroking longer as her competitors tightened. At the 150m she took the lead for good, then turning and coming home even stronger. The crowd began to stand and scream as she started to threaten the 2:05.40 WR of Jessicah Schipper, AUS. Coming closer to the wall she touched in a 2:05.92, just missing the world standard by 52 hundreths of a second. Franziska Hentke, GER, finished second in 2:08.68 with Beatrix Boulsevicz, HUN, in third at 2:08.86. Jedrzejczak said, "(It felt like) I swam better at World Championships. September is a better time for Europeans, so this is good." Rounding out the top eight were Sara Oliveira, POR, 2:12.27, Tanya Hunks, CAN, 2:13.46, Sara Alexandra Madeira, POR, 2:13.60, Jessica Dickons, GBR, 2:14.17, and Tetyana Khala, UKR, 2:14.40.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Men's 100 Breaststroke Semifinals
Ukraine and Russia grabbed the top four spots in finals as Igor Borysik of Ukraine won semis in 1:01.42 and teammate Valeriy Dymo placed third in 1:01.58. Russians Dmitry Komornikov (1:01.53) and Sergey Geybel (1:01.58) finished second and third, respectively.

France's Hugues Duboscq (1:01.63), Great Britain's James Gibson (1:01.76), Canada's Mathieu Bois (1:01.94) and Lithuania's Edvinas Dautartas (1:02.12) grabbed the final four transfer spots into finals.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Women's 400 IM Finals
Although well off her 4:37.03 from the World Championships, Italy's Alessia Filippi still won the women's 400 IM title in 4:38.27. Filippi fell back in the butterfly leg, but went ahead in the backstroke and never looked back.

Ukraine's Yana Klochkova picked up silver in 4:39.80, while Poland's Katarzyna Baranowska claimed third in 4:40.16.

In women's 400 IM Alessia Filippi, ITA, 4:38.27 finished first just ahead of Yana Klochkova, UKR, in a time of 4:39.90 with Katarzyna Baranowska, POL, finishing third in 4:40.16. For Poland and the Ukraine the times are good considering the training schedules of the swimmers and the new late summer meet in the European schedule. The Poland and Ukraine women's teams are remaining strong and their depth is continuing to grow.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Men's 400 IM Finals
Italy's Luca Marin dropped a 4:13.99 to win the men's 400 IM with a time a bit shy of his 4:09.74 to win bronze at the World Championships. After trailing during the butterfly leg, Marin took a huge lead during the backstroke, held on to it during the breaststroke and white-knuckled the win during the free.

Hungary swept the rest of the medals as Gergo Kis touched in 4:14.17 for silver and David Verraszto pocketed bronze in 4:14.46. Those times now rank seventh and eighth in the world this year, respectively.

In a tight finish in the men's 400 IM, Luca Marin, ITA, 4:13.99 touched out Gergo Kis, HUN, 4:14.17, and David Verraszto, HUN, in 4:14.46 in another crowd pleaser. Marin, ITA, in his weak leg, butterfly, was out in the first 100 in third place, with Hidemasa Sano, JPN, leading in :57.03. However, in breast, Marin, at 3:14.88, Verraszto, 3:16.27, and Kis, 3:17.51 were closing together. Turning for the final 50m free, Kis accelerated; turning on the after-burners, passing Verraszto in the last 15m to finish second to Marin.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Women's 100 backstroke Semifinals
France's Laure Manaudou eased in with a 1:01.08 to pick up the center lane during finals, while Ukraine's Iryna Amshennikova took second in 1:01.29. The United States' Margaret Hoelzer finished third in 1:01.46, while Russia's Anastasia Zueva placed fourth in 1:01.90.

Germany's Janine Pietsch (1:02.03) and Antje Buschschulte (1:02.04), along with Ukraine's Kateryna Zubkova (1:02.32) and Hungary's Nikolett Szepesi (1:02.38) will make up the rest of the finale.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Men's 50 backstroke Finals
Randall Bal set the American record in the men's 50 back with a time of 24.84 to win the event. The time eclipsed the 24.92 and finish just shy of the world record time of 24.80 set by Thomas Rupprath of Germany in July 2003. Bal also nipped the fastest time in the world this year as Liam Tancock of Great Britain previously held the mark with a 24.86 set in July.

Rupprath settled for second in 25.34, while Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin finished third in 25.81.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Women's 50 breaststroke Finals
After watching New Zealand's Zoe Baker waltz through prelims and semis as the top qualifier, Germany's Janne Schaefer topped the women's 50 breast with a time of 31.43. While not as fast as her 31.15 clocked in Zagreb this June, it still beat Baker's 31.82 in Paris.

Russia's Elena Bogomazova rounded out the top three in 31.97.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Men's 400 freestyle relay Finals
Russia's quartet of Evgeny Lagunov (49.35), Andrey Grechin (48.61), Andrey Kapralov (48.05) and Sergey Fesikov (49.41) won the men's 400 free relay in 3:15.42, while France's foursome of Antoine Galavtine (50.04), Fabien Gilot (49.10), David Maitre (49.86) and Alain Bernard (48.66) took second in 3:17.66.

Canada's team of Matthew Rose (50.21), Brent Hayden (48.64), Adam Sioui (49.55) and Colin Russell (49.33) claimed third in 3:17.73.

Russia finished first with a time of 3:15.42. Andrey Kapralov split a quick 48.05. In second place was France in 3:17.66 with Alain Bernard splitting 48.66. In third place Canada finished with 3:17.73 with the man of the hour, Brent Hayden splitting 48.64.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

Swimming World Factoid:
Hayden will be flying to Beijing next week for an Olympic preview, to practice during the time of the Olympic swimming schedule while there and to assess the building program and facilities.

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