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CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, May 16. THE third evening of long course meter swimming at the Charlotte UltraSwim featured a dominant sprint performance and a breakout star's third gold medal.
Fred Bousquet, the fastest sprinter on the planet right now, claimed the U.S. Open record in the men's 50 free, while Dagny Knutson of Minot demonstrated experience beyond her years with her third gold medal in two days of action.
On the Michael Phelps watch, the best swimmer on the planet sustained a loss in the 100 back against the specialist who has owned the race for nearly a decade in Aaron Peirsol. These types of losses might be just what Phelps needs to remain motivated after ascending to the summit of the sport with eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing.
Also of note, Victoria Poon shot down her Canadian record in the women's 50 free demonstrating just how internationally deep this stop of the USA Swimming Grand Prix circuit has become.
Women's 200 fly
Grand Prix points leader Mary DeScenza pocketed gold in the event with a top time of 2:09.25. Her time came within a second of her meet record of 2:08.10 from last year.
"It was a little bit tiring out there," DeScenza said. "Anytime under 2:10 is great for me. We're in pretty heavy training, and I'm just happy to be out there with the crowd behind us."
Adrienne Bicek of Express clinched second in 2:10.99, while North Baltimore's Felicia Lee claimed third in 2:11.14. Notably, Minot's Dagny Knutson finished fifth in 2:12.88 to add to a pair of golds last night.
(Click here to watch Mary DeScenza on The Morning Swim Show.)
Men's 200 fly
In a three-way dance for the title, Club Wolverine's Dan Madwed got his hand to the wall first with a time of 1:58.72. He touched out Tennessee's Davis Tarwater (1:58.74) by .02 seconds for an exciting finish. Brazil's Thiago Pereira was in it throughout the entire race until taking third in 1:59.75.
"We were just training in Colorado," Madwed said. "It is exciting to see where our training is at after altitude. Now we can breathe a little bit, so it is fun to see what we can do."
Tom Malchow's meet record of 1:55.18 set back in 2000 remained on the books.
Women's 50 free
After a delay in the meet due to some timing system issues, Swim Atlanta's Amanda Weir claimed the women's splash-and-dash title with a swift 25.32. She had to hold off a line of competitors as Club Natation's Victoria Poon took second in 25.42. Meanwhile, Julia Smit (25.43), Athens Bulldog Kara Lynn Joyce (25.44) and Tennessee's Michelle King (25.48) finished third through fifth.
"The breakout, if you get stuck under the water you are behind at the start," Weir said when asked about the most important part of a sprint. "I've really been working at breakouts in practice."
Poon's time of 25.42 set the Canadian record that she previously owned with a 25.47 set last year.
Notably, Tennessee's Christine Magnuson ripped off a 25.56 to win the consolation heat.
Men's 50 free
While Michael Phelps qualified for the championship final in eighth place, he scratched the sprint free event to focus on his 100 back swim later in the evening. World record holder Fred Bousquet didn't mind as he blazed by the field with a 21.33 for the U.S. Open record. That time cleared Garrett Weber-Gale's U.S. Open record of 21.47 set last summer.
"I am very happy I came here to swim," Bousquet said. "I came here three to four years ago, and had such a good memory. When I heard all my Auburn teammates were coming, [SwimMAC head coach] David Marsh was good enough to get me in even though I was late to register."
SwimMAC's Cullen Jones, who had the hometown crowd behind him, wound up taking second in 21.92. George Bovell claimed third in 22.01. All three swimmers obliterated Jones' meet mark of 22.33 set in 2008.
In the C final, Corney Swanepoel took a run at his national record in the 50 fly with a 23.68. He came up just short of his New Zealand standard of 23.46 set in April.
(Click here to watch Fred Bousquet on The Morning Swim Show.)
Women's 100 back
Bluefish's Elizabeth Beisel came up a bit short of the meet record, but wound up triumphant with a 1:01.62 in the event. She just missed Gemma Spofforth's 2008 standard of 2:01.09.
"I struggled the first 50, but we have been working on the back half," Beisel said after the swim. "I've been trying to negative split that last 50. It's been awesome to see everyone watching because Michael Phelps is back. It is great to see everyone getting fired up."
Mary DeScenza, who has been the busiest swimmer of the Grand Prix series, claimed second in 1:02.12. She kept piling onto her Grand Prix circuit tally. North Baltimore's Elizabeth Pelton finished third in 1:02.21.
Men's 100 back
In a star-studded finale, world record holder Aaron Peirsol reminded Michael Phelps just who owns this particular event. Peirsol, swimming for Longhorn, dropped the hammer down the stretch with a swift time of 53.32. Phelps, representing North Baltimore, took second in 53.79 as both backstroke stalwarts beat Ryan Lochte's meet record of 54.00. Lochte, meanwhile, took fourth behind North Baltimore's Nick Thoman, 54.76 to 55.13.
"I am very happy with that swim, it was a good time for this time of year," Peirsol said. "We are trying out all these new suits, and it's kind of bizarre. I wanted to win, but Phelps has been 53.00 before. Nick and Ryan are both good as well, so it was a tough field."
Peirsol, Phelps and Lochte each came into the meet as reigning Olympic gold medalists from Beijing.
"That was a decent time for me," Phelps said. "Aaron and I are always going to have that race. It is fun racing him."
Women's 200 breast
Bluefish's Laura Sogar snatched the title in 2:30.93 with Suburban's Corrie Clark placing second in 2:31.59. Tennessee's Martina Moravcikova completed the podium in 2:32.86.
"My entry time was several seconds faster than that, but it was still a good race," Sogar said. "Usually, I go out at almost my 100 time then bring it home."
Men's 200 breast
Eric Shanteau of Longhorn cleared his meet record from this morning by two seconds with a sterling time of 2:09.71 this evening. That time beat his prelim record of 2:11.73 and is his personal-best effort.
"I just came to do a best time, and that was my goal for this meet," Shanteau said. "I kind of always swim my races as a backhalf swimmer. When I hit the 100, a switch flips and it is time to get home."
SwimMAC's Mark Gangloff went out like a rocket with a 29.69 at the 50, but settled for second in 2:14.22. Swim Wales' Robert Holderness raced to third in 2:16.20.
(Click here to watch Eric Shanteau on The Morning Swim Show.)
Women's 400 free
Battling stroke for stroke down the final 50 meters, Minot's Dagny Knutson claimed her third gold of the meet as she stared down Katie Hoff to grab the touch-out victory, 4:09.60 to 4:09.72. Knutson's swims this meet have proven that her incredible fall wasn't a fluke last year.
"I came here to compete the best I can, that's what I always do," Knutson said. "[Swimming against Katie] prepares me to be ready for races like that down the road."
FLA Aquatics' Lauren Driscoll completed the top three in 4:15.29 with Julia Smit taking fourth in 4:15.41.
Men's 400 free
In what looked like a Club Wolverine training session with five of the eight finalists hailing from the Ann Arbor-based club, CW's leading swimmer Peter Vanderkaay put together a meet-record swim of 3:46.04. Not only did he blow away Ryan Lochte's meet mark of 3:49.25 from last year, he torched the field as well.
"I just wanted to swim an easy, even 400 and work on my stroke," Vanderkaay said. "That's a good swim. I am happy with it."
Teammate Tyler Clary touched second in 3:55.06 nearly 10 seconds back, while Matt Patton took third for CW in 3:55.88. Club Wolverine actually swept the top five spots with Charlie Houchin (3:55.95) and Adam DeJong (3:57.10) completing the club's domination of the event.
Women's 400 medley relay
The Canadians went 1-3 in the race with Club Natation's Stephanie Horner, Michelle Laprade, Victoria Poon and Genevieve Saumur winning in 4:11.48. Team Ontario's Andrea Jurenovskis, Amanda Reason, Paige Schultz and Hayley Nell took third in 4:12.84.
U.S.-based Bluefish's Elizabeth Beisel, Laura Sogar, Alex Forrester and Alex Frasier split the difference with a second-place effort of 4:12.68.
Men's 400 medley relay
Club Wolverine's A team of Tyler Clary, Jared Miller, Chris Brady and Peter Vanderkaay blitzed the men's medley relay with a meet-record time of 3:41.67. That time crushed the former record of 3:46.34 set by Club Wolverine back in 2006.
SwimMAC's Jared White, Mark Gangloff, Jordan Berry and Cullen Jones claimed second in 3:43.98, while Club Wolverine's C team of Charlie Houchin, Alex Vanderkaay, Matt Patton and Evan Ryser finished third in 3:48.93.
Results: USA Swimming Grand Prix, Charlotte
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Reaction Time Comments
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of Swimming World Magazine or SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.
Reaction Time is provided as a service to our readers.
May 16, 2009 Peirsol wore an X-Glide. Why don't they get that it's ILLEGAL! That's the main thing that's getting me. Phelps was just perfect with his time, though. Submitted by: SwimDER94
May 16, 2009 But Lochte in a speedo was badass. Submitted by: Sphere
May 16, 2009 I love the fact that Ryan is wearing a brief. Very very cool on his part. Submitted by: paddles
May 17, 2009 I wonder if Mr Bousquet would still be so vocal about his "natural ability" rather than the suit producing such fast times if knew he was going to line up alongside 7 other Jaked-wearing swimmers in the 50 free finals? I don't think so! Submitted by: m.j.h
May 17, 2009 I'm completely sure Fred would down all the swimmers if everyone was wearing the Jaked suit. He has so much natural ability without the swim suit. If the suit is legal right now what's the point of giving him a hard time! He is the fastest swimmer in the 50 on the planet. period. Until the suit is outlawed, then something can be said. He was the first person ever to break 19 sec in the 50 yd free with a 18.74 so he is the fastest guy on the planet still. Submitted by: WUswimmer
May 17, 2009 Read the new Craig Lord article at SwimNews (is this ok, Jason?). VERY good article about Bousquest, Piersol quotes, etc. Whether some agree or disagree, this issue will eventually have to come to a head. Submitted by: paddles
May 17, 2009 "So, Fred, how fair is that?" said craig
pathetic is how craig is crying about the argue that Speedo's swimmers are in disadvantage. i mean in beijing almost just the u.s. swimmers had LZRs, others had to stand up at Speedo's tent for hours to borrow one! am i wrong? No! i saw guys who got gold medal in that line, begging for one of those amazing LZR suits, so they could be at the same level as the Speedos swmmers were. And i know most of people who reads his article did not know that.
20.9 and the new suits technology is not Fred Bousquets fault! for god sake! have u forgot about phelps WR in 200fly last year first-time wearing LZR? the reason he went under the WR? answer: the suit? or the person in the suit?
and the last argue is that Fred is not the same person without the suit he is in. You are saying that he's incapable of doing what noone but him in the world knows how to do it. With or without the suit Fred would beat the World Record swimming 20.5 or 20.9 or 21.0 or 21.27 or 21.64 the time is just consequence.
"So, Craig, how fair is that?" says me. Submitted by: brswimmer
May 17, 2009 Eric Shanteau went another pr in 200 breast today (2:09.71).
He dropped from a 2:09.97 @ USA Grand Prix in Austin in early March, which was a .13 improvement over his old career-best of 2:10.10 from th Beijing semis.
He's nowo third-fastest American and the way he's swimming Hansen's AR 2:08.50 should be "easy pickins" come the Rome trials in a couple of months.
(Put him in an X-Glideand see him go 2:06?)
And what has become of Scott Spann -- still the U.S. No. 2 all-time 200 breaststroker?
He transfers to Texas from Michian, swam a couple of college meets last fal and then disappeared.
Rob Holderness (Florida State) set a couple of Welsh records too (1:02.50/2:16.20). Submitted by: slickwillie32
May 18, 2009 About the fact that the french sprinters have incredible times with Jaked and Arena X-glide: Maybe it is not that surprising when one has paid attention to what happened last december at the french championships and the European Short course championships, when Jaked and Arena X-glide were NOT available to the french team yet ( the italians and the spanish had the Jaked, but not the french ... and they lost to the french ).
With "Beijing-generation" suits here are the times of the 4 french sprinters:
50m free SC
Leveaux 20.48 WR
Bernard 20.63
Bousquet 20.69
Gilot 21.11
4x50m free relay SC WR
Bernard, Gilot, Leveaux, Bousquet : 1:20.77 !!
100m free SC
Leveaux 44.94 WR !!!
Bernard 45.69
Gilot 45.81
Bousquet 46.51
50m fly
Leveaux 22.18 WR
Using conversion tables, or the IPS points, or counting 0.6 s advantage per turn... you can see that these times were already quite extraordinary and very comparable to the
20.94 50m LC of Bousquet
or the 46.94 100m LC of Bernard...
And about people doubting Munoz capabilities... If it was just the "Jaked", how would we explain that he swam a 50 fly LC recently in 22.43, when he "only" swam a 22.33 on the 50 fly SC 5 months ago with the same suit I believe. A reasonnable explanation would be that not only the suit helps, but that being still quite young he has also made lots of progress since Beijing and then the European SC championships. Submitted by: flamin
May 19, 2009 Remember that Leveaux was wearing an unbranded TYR suit at the Euro SC - there was uncertainty what suit it was, but it was rumoured to be custom-made for him and different fabrics than their Beijing-era suits.
Additionally, that was the meet where it was very common to wear two suits.
No doubt, the French guys are super fast, it's a combo of great fitness and technological advancements leading to the times. Submitted by: FatDrew
Reaction Time responses do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions
of Swimming World Magazine or SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.
Reaction Time is provided as a service to our readers.
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Photo By: Tim Binning, TheSwimPictures.com
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