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SANTA CLARA, California, June 13. THE third day of long course meter swimming at the Santa Clara Invitational concluded with Kirsty Coventry of Longhorn putting her mark on the meet with a difficult double.
Meanwhile, Nathan Adrian blazed to a meet record in the sprint free, while Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte each demonstrated just how special they are with remarkable splits.
The meet is part of the USA Swimming Grand Prix series.
Women's 400 IM
Kirsty Coventry cruised in the women's distance medley event with a meet-record time of 4:32.15 while representing Longhorn. Her time smashed Elizabeth Beisel's 2008 standard of 4:36.75.
"My turns can always get better," Coventry said. "I'm really happy with that time. It was a little painful, but this is a fun meet. The sun is out and it's a good atmosphere."
Minot's Dagny Knutson cleared 4:40 for the first time in her career with a second-place 4:36.02 as she continues to make her mark against the best in the world. Bluefish's Beisel, meanwhile, closed out world-record holder Stephanie Rice of Australia, 4:37.07 to 4:38.08, for third.
Notably, Katie Hoff came down with a bit of an illness last night and did not compete today.
Men's 100 fly
Ford's Masayuki Kishida put together a bit of outside smoke from lane two with a winning time of 52.43. He went out in a quick 24.41 before holding on for the victory.
"That is my best in-season time," Kishida said. "I just went for it. I still died, but it was a great race."
Ryan Lochte finished the event in second with a 52.84, while Longhorn's Ricky Berens took third in 53.00.
Women's 100 breast
Down the final 25 meters, Lethal Leisel Jones put away the field with a final burst in her pet event. Jones clocked a 1:07.11 for the win, just missing Jessica Hardy's 2006 meet mark of 1:06.97.
"We work on our kick and try to get them strong," Jones said of her final 25-meter push. "We work on our legs and get them warmed up. We get our breaststrokers started very young. We always work on it, and we have some depth there."
Kasey Carlson of Terrapin, who exploded onto the scene with the national high school mark in the 100-yard breast earlier this year, grabbed second with a time of 1:08.33. Australia's Sarah Katsoulis (1:08.46) and Samantha Marshall (1:08.72) finished third and fourth.
Men's 400 free
Swimming's superstar entered the building in the men's middle distance event. North Baltimore's Michael Phelps eased into finals with the fourth-fastest prelim time of 3:53.08. The rest of the field didn't have much of a chance from the start as Phelps shot out to a two-body length lead in the middle of the race.
However, the rest of the field started catching up to Phelps to make the finish much more exciting than the middle of the race might have foretold. Phelps posted a front-half 1:51.07 before completing the race in 3:48.05.
"The only thing I wanted to do today was to take it out, and if they catch me, they catch me," Phelps said. "I haven't really trained this much. I wanted to race as hard as I could. I was hoping I would have enough of a cushion to hold them off. I don't want to swim that race anymore. It hurts."
Canada's Ryan Cochrane nearly caught the superstar with a second-place 3:48.40, while Australia's Robert Hurley placed a close third in 3:48.49.
Women's 200 free
California's Dana Vollmer grabbed her fourth gold medal of the meet thus far after a triple last night. She raced to the win in 1:57.46. That performance just missed Bronte Barratt's meet record of 1:57.18 set last year.
Australia's Meagen Nay touched second in 1:59.31, while KING's Ariana Kukors cleared 2:00 with a third-place 1:59.80. California's Sara Isakovic also bettered the 2:00 barrier with a fourth-place 1:59.96.
Men's 200 back
Ryan Lochte's remarkable final turn allowed him to not only overtake Australia's Ashley Delaney at the 150-meter mark, but led to Lochte blowing him away down the stretch with a sterling 28.33 final split. Lochte wound up winning in 1:56.83 with Delaney taking second in 1:58.60 after leading Lochte, 1:27.65 to 1:28.50, at the final turn.
"My coach and I talked about going out smooth and making sure the last 50 was the same time as my last 50 at the Olympics," Lochte said.
Canada's Matt Hawes (2:00.30) and Brian Johns (2:02.86) placed third and fourth.
Women's 100 back
World-record holder Kirsty Coventry posted a 1:00.68 for the victory in her signature event coming on the back of her earlier triumph in the women's 400 IM to give her a double this evening.
Overall Grand Prix winner Mary DeScenza picked up second-place honors with a time of 1:01.54, while Katy Murdoch completed the top three in 1:02.05.
Men's 50 free
California's Nathan Adrian scorched the pool with a victorious meet-record time of 22.04 in the men's splash-and-dash. That performance beat Roland Schoeman's 2008 mark of 22.29.
The top three swimmers all cleared the former standard as George Bovell raced to second place with a 22.12. Brent Hayden snatched third in 22.20.
Relays
Australia's Stephanie Rice, Katie Goldman, Belinda Parslow and Meagen Nay clocked a meet-record time of 8:02.49 to win the women's 800 free relay. That performance crushed Australia's previous mark of 8:05.08 set last year. Nay produced a strong anchor leg with a 1:57.64. Meanwhile, Cal's Dana Vollmer anchored her second-place squad with a 1:57.19 leg. Cal's team of Erica Dagg, Madison Kennedy, Hannah Wilson and Vollmer placed second in 8:02.69.
Australia's Kenrick Monk, Nicholas Ffrost, Ryan Napoleon and Patrick Murphy smoked the men's 800 free relay meet record with a time of 7:15.88. The clocking beat Japan's time of 7:20.57 set last year. Monk keyed the effort with a strong 1:48.47 leadoff leg.
Results: Santa Clara International
Search For More News About: Kirsty Coventry
Reaction Time Comments
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June 13, 2009 WOW! For 2 things. 1) That was Coventry's SECOND BEST TIME EVER (400 IM) - behind her BJ silver medal! 2) Dagny dropped FOUR SECONDS! We could very well see a time in the American Record range in the 200 IM tomorrow. I think she was one of the many with Bob Bowman and Co. at altitude (Spann was there too). Beisel wasn't bad at all, and Rice was much better than she's been this season. Submitted by: SwimDER94
June 13, 2009 Lochte's last 50 was 28.33, over a half second faster than the Olympics (28.88)! He's ready to take on Irie. Submitted by: SwimDER94
June 13, 2009 It's a lot easier to finish in 28.3 when the opening 150 is that much slower. It will be a good race though. Submitted by: Coach Dude
June 13, 2009 Lochte's not known (at all) for in-season speed. Irie is (for sure!). 1:56.8 3 weeks out means a lot more for Lochte than it would for someone like Peirsol. He's ready. Submitted by: SwimDER94
June 13, 2009 Also of note, Kishida was last in the 50 Free C-Final doing Fly, going 24.26. Submitted by: SwimDER94
June 13, 2009 In 30 yersw Coventry, Dagny and Beisel can tell their grandkids "I crushed the Olympic champ/world record-holder like an ant" leaving out the part that it was @ Santa Clara, NOT Rome.
But those times augur well for all three in a month or so. Hoff's defending world champ and Rice is Olympic gold-medalist/wr-holder so we shall wee what we swhall see.
KC's 4:32 is seventh-fastest performacne all-time and the ONLY time among Top 10 NOT done @ an Olympics/World Championships and/or a World/Olympics Trials meet.
So that's got to be a great confidence bulder for her.
Dagny is now 38th-fastest all-time(perforamcnes) and 12th-best among performers.
Amongactive competitors she's ninth so this represents a real breakthrough for her too.
Julia Smit's AR @ NCAA converts to around a 4:27-28 so...Hoff miht have to go 4:25 to win -- @ Indy!
Can't wit for Rome. Submitted by: slickwillie32
June 13, 2009 Clearly Smit's AR to meters conversion is off. She's never been within 6 seconds of such a time in meters, but I do think it will take a 4:30 - 4:31 to make the team at Indy.
Pretty sure Lochte will go 1:53 at Indy. Does anyone know what Phelps is contesting at Indy? Submitted by: mario2007
June 13, 2009 I thought the guy who won the 400 free had forsworn ANY race in ANY stroke over 200 meters EVER again following Beijing.
I guess maybe his coach sat him down, had littlr discussion on the matter and explained the fats of life to him.
Anyway it's his tird-fastest 400 ever.
Going from men to women...wasn't there some American woman who won a bunch of NCAA titles a few moons ago fo Terrapins (oops, Cal!) and then won 100 back golds at the last two Olympics?
I think there is/was but I haven't seen her name on any results since Beijing.
Whatever happened to hehr?
I always thought she was pretty good in freestyle sprints ASD backstroke.
She hang up her Speedo?
Submitted by: slickwillie32
June 13, 2009 Lochte, pr in 100 fly (52.84).
Old: 52.86 from Speedo Sectinals in Orlando in March of '08.
I imagine he'll swim this event @ Trials if it doesn't conflict with eitehr the backstrkes/IMs and/or the 200 free (figuring hed like to swim on the 800 free relay @ Rome).)
And speaking of missing peprsons...
Anyone noticeo nospicuous absencne this spring/early summer of the NCAA champ/Ameican recrde-holder in men's 100 yard fly?
He hassn't swum a meet since College Staton.
He's not hurt is he?
just lying low?
Submitted by: slickwillie32
June 14, 2009 "Going from men to women...wasn't there some American woman who won a bunch of NCAA titles a few moons ago for Cal and then won 100 back golds at the last two Olympics?"
Obviously you are talking about Natalie Coughlin. I guess she'll show up when she wants to.
"Anyone notice the conspicuous absence this spring/early summer of the NCAA champ/American record-holder in men's 100 yard fly?"
Austin Staab was in this meet...he came in 17th in the 100 fly.
A lot of the men were unshaven and wearing old-style suits...they're training right through this meet.
Don't mistake Cal swimmers for any other team. Besides Dana Vollmer and Nathan Adrian, there seem to be a lot of Cal swimmers in the A B and C finals.
Submitted by: flutterby
June 14, 2009 Watching the meet on Universal Sports, I'm sort of surprised at the short shrift that Elizabeth Beisel gets. I've been impressed with her since she made the World team at 13. She continues to improve but seems to be overlooked. The 4:37.07 she swam was slightly off what she did last year at the meet but is still mighty fast and there was barely a mention of her. Dagny's rise is sorta overshadowing Elizabeth to a degree. (Not Dagny's fault, she is going to be a star I think but so will Elizabeth.) Just my 2 cents worth. Submitted by: teamwiess
June 14, 2009 go Elizabeth!
All of RI is proud of you! Submitted by: flutterby
June 14, 2009 I thought it was common knowledge that natalie is taking some time off. She has said in interviews she isn't done and will compete for a spot in Beijing. gotta keep up people. =)
so impressed with Dagny. This summer will be interesting.
Lochte will be ready but lets not forget Peirsol. He knows what he is up against with Irie and still loves the 200 the most. I'm pulling for you Aaron! Submitted by: gtx84
June 14, 2009 I thought it was common knowledge that natalie is taking some time off. She has said in interviews she isn't done and will compete for a spot in Beijing. gotta keep up people. =)
so impressed with Dagny. This summer will be interesting.
Lochte will be ready but lets not forget Peirsol. He knows what he is up against with Irie and still loves the 200 the most. I'm pulling for you Aaron! Submitted by: gtx84
June 14, 2009 I thought it was common knowledge that natalie is taking some time off. She has said in interviews she isn't done and will compete for a spot in London. gotta keep up people. =)
so impressed with Dagny. This summer will be interesting.
Lochte will be ready but lets not forget Peirsol. He knows what he is up against with Irie and still loves the 200 the most. I'm pulling for you Aaron! Submitted by: gtx84
June 14, 2009 wow sorry. didn't mean to post so many times. Submitted by: gtx84
June 14, 2009 ...and of course i meant to type London and not Beijing. *sigh* sorry people its been a tough day so far. Submitted by: gtx84
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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