Fast Times at US Open and Masters Nationals; Celebrating Gertrude Ederle’s Channel Crossing on The Morning Swim Show News Segment, August 6, 2009

PHOENIX, Arizona, August 6. FAST swimming at the US Open and the US Masters nationals highlight today's news segment on The Morning Swim Show.

Host Peter Busch breaks down the top swims by Jessica Hardy, Nick Thoman, Nick Brunelli and others at the US Open. He also talks about some of the Masters world records broken on the first day at the Masters long course nationals. The show concludes with a celebration of Gertrude Ederle's English Channel crossing 83 years ago. Watch the show in the video player below. The full transcript of the show follows.

We'll start with the much-hyped return of Jessica Hardy after her one-year suspension for testing positive for clenbuterol at the Olympic Trials. In the final of the 100 free, Hardy took the race out hard in 26.20, which was under Amanda Weir's American record pace. She couldn't hold on, though, and Erika Erndl passed her in the final 10 meters to win in 54.59. Hardy finished second with a 55.07.

Nick Thoman was the clear winner of the men's 200 back, winning with a time of 1:54.59. Thoman's time was a few tenths faster than his swim at the world trials, but still would not have been fast enough to make the world championship team. On the plus side, Thoman's swim makes him the fifth-fastest performer in the event in the world.

Another guy named Nick came to Federal Way to improve on his performance from the world trials. This time it was Nick Brunelli, who finished eighth in the 100 free and one tenth away from swimming the 400 free relay. At the US Open, he was one-hundredth of a second faster than his time from the world trials in winning the 100 free with a 48.52. The man who finished seventh at world trials, Jimmy Feigen, was second to Brunelli at the US Open with a 49.25.

Jack Brown won the 400 IM with a 4:12.58 last night, more than a second faster than his time at the world trials, where he placed third in the event far behind Ryan Lochte and Tyler Clary. Brown was pushed by Robert Margalis for the entire race, pulling away on the breaststroke leg and holding off Margalis on the freestyle.

Justine Mueller won the women's 400 IM with a 4:40.61 and Margaret Meyer was the winner of the women's 200 back with a 2:09.53.

Today's events include the 400 freestyle and 100 butterfly. The women's 400 free will feature Kate Ziegler, and the men's 400 will likely be a battle for the title with Michael Kleuh, Sebastian Rouault and Chad La Tourette in the race. We'll have recaps of the finals on swimmingworld.com.

The United States Swimming Masters nationals have begun in Indianapolis and world records are already being rewritten. Laura Val, who has been voted Swimming World Magazine's world Masters swimmer of the year multiple times, broke her own world record in the 50 fly in the 55-59 age group with a 31.42. And Laurie Ditommaso did what few people are able to do. She broke a world record held by Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen. In the 50 fly for the 45-49 age group, Ditommaso swam a 29.37 to take about two-tenths off the record.

In the men's 50 fly, Oswaldo Quevedo swam a 24.17 to break his own world record which he set three years ago in the 30-34 age group. Quevedo will be gunning for the world record in the 100 fly, which he owned for about a week until it was broken. That world record stands at 55.01. Perennial record breaker Mike Ross took down Paul Smith's world record of 25.87 in the 40-44 age group with a 25.57. Steve Hiltabiddle was also under the record with a 25.73. And three-time Olympian Gary Hall Sr. broke a world record in the 50 fly for the 55-59 age group with a 26.86, breaking Greg Shaw's record of 27.08.

Jaime Fowler set two world records in the 50-54 age group a couple of weeks ago in the 50 back and 200 IM, and now he has his name on the 200 back world record. Fowler swam a 2:17.74 to break Tom Wolf's record of 2:20.51.

Two more of Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen's records fell in the women's 200 back, the last event to finish before we taped today's show. Sarabeth Metzger swam a 2:17.61 in the 30-34 age group to break Pipes-Neilsen's record of 2:18.98, then Jody Smith swam a 2:23.18 in the 40-44 age group to wipe out Pipes-Neilsen's record of 2:25.91.

Two more world records fell in the women's 200 back. One went to 82-year-old Betty Lorenzi in the 80-84 age group, who swam a 3:53.25 and the other record was broken by Nancy Steadman Martin, who swam a 2:47.52 to break the record in the 55-59 age group.

And finally on the show today we want to commemorate the 83rd anniversary of Gertrude Ederle's successful swim across the English Channel. Gertrude was the first woman to complete the journey when she touched the French coast on August 6, 1926. Her time of 14 hours and 39 minutes was the fastest crossing at the time, faster than all the men who had done it before her. Two years before that, Ederle was an Olympic gold medalist in the 400 free relay and won bronzes in the 100 free and 400 free. Since Ederle's swim, about 1,000 people have made successful crossings, many of them women. You can find a list of names at the official website for English Channel crossings at channelswimmingassociation.com.

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