Team Stars & Stripes Wins First Novo Nordisk Sprint Cup, Men Swim Fastest-Ever 200m Freestyle Relay

EAST MEADOW, NY., Oct. 21. TEAM Stars & Stripes won the first-ever Novo Nordisk Sprint Cup, held yesterday at the Nassau County Aquatic center in East Meadow, NY. The meet offered $310,000 in prize money: the largest one-day payday in the history of swimming,

The meet was sponsored by Novo Nordisk, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and a leader in diabetes care. Gary Hall, Jr., whose vision it was to create the Sprint Cup, is a diabetic who uses Novo Nordisk products to control the disease.

The Stars & Stripes win was a mild upset, as the European Union team was a narrow pre-meet favorite. The EU finished a close second, just ahead of a World team that performed better than expected.

Team Stars & Stripes provided an exclamation point to its team title by capturing the meet's final event, the men's 4×50 meter freestyle relay in a world best time of 1:25.87.

FINA does not recognize "world records" in the 4×50 freestyle and medley relays, only "world bests." The previous world best was 1:26.78, set by the University of Texas at the 2000 NCAA Championships.

Aaron Ciarla led off the Stars & Stripes relay with a stunning 21.64 effort — a time that would have won the individual men's 50 free. He was followed by Neil Walker (21.26, the meet's fastest split), Nate Dusing (21.54) and Jason Lezak (21.43).

As it turned out, a world's fastest effort was needed, as the World Team, sparked by Mark Foster's anchor leg of 21.27, touched in 1:26.21, also well under the previous mark. Team European Union was third in 1:28.15, a time that probably would win at any other competition.

There were many other speedy performances in the meet, which brough together 54 of the world's fastest sprinters who, collectively, have won 37 Olympic medals, including 17 gold.

Ed Moses set an American record in winning the men's 50m breaststroke in 26.92 seconds. He, too, needed to swim fast to win. The other two finalists in the event — there were only three finalists per event — were Mark Warnecke (European Union), the WR-holder at 26.70, and Roman Sloudnov (EU), the only man ever to braek a minute in the 100 breast (long course). Warnecke was second in 27.15. Sloudnov was third in 27.17, but was disqualified for flinching on the start.

The EU's Zoe Baker set a European and British national record with her 30.78 for the women's 50 breast in prelims. She came back to win finals in 30.88.

The world team's Geoff Huegill swam to an Australian national record in winning the 50 fly in 22.95, the second fastest time in history. Olympic champion Lars Frolander, who had the fastest prelim time — a national record 22.97 — was second. Mark Foster, who holds the world record of 22.87, did not make the final.

Neil Walker, who holds the world record of 52.79 in the 100 IM, won in 53.14 — the second fastest time in history — beating out his Stars & Stripes teammate, Nate Dusing.

Michael Gilliam, who upset Walker to win the 50m backstroke in 24.17, swam the second fastest 50 back, clocking 23.93 in prelims. Only Walker's 23.42 from 2000 is faster.

Triple Olympic gold medalist Inge De Bruijn (EU) was the only swimmer to win two individual events. De Bruijn was also the top money-winner in the meet, earning $37,000 for her efforts and taking home the
"Female Swimmer of the Meet" title. Geoff Huegill (World) won the "Male Swimmer of the Meet" honors.

De Bruijn and Huegill donated their Swimmer of the Meet prizes of $1,000 each to a fund to provide scholarships for two swimmers from the Long island Aquatic Club whose dad was killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

The Novo Nordisk Sprint Cup will be televised on Fox Sports Net on Saturday, December 8, from 2:00-3:00 pm, EST. It will be an exciting broadcast featuring color commentary by Rowdy gaines and interviews by Cynthia Potter. Check your local listings for broadcast time in your area.

A full story on the meet will appear in the December issue of Swimming World.

Novo Nordisk Sprint Cup
East Meadow, New York
Oct. 20, 2001

25 meter pool

WB: World best time
ER: European record
NR: National record
#: 2nd fastest all-time

PRELIMS
(Three fastest times make finals)

Event 1 Women 100 SC Meter IM
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Mette Jacobsen EUROP 1:04.23
5 Amanda Beard S&S 1:00.90
6 Martina MoravcovaWORLD 1:01.45

Heat 2 Prelims
4 Johanna Sjoberg EUROP 1:03.28
5 Gabrielle Rose S&S 1:01.71
6 Brooke Hanson WORLD 1:02.09

Event 2 Men 100 SC Meter IM
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Romain Barnier EUROP 55.77
5 Nate Dusing S&S 54.11
6 Geoff Huegill WORLD 57.25
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Lionel Moreau EUROP 55.81
5 Neil Walker S&S 54.22
6 Robert V.d. ZantWORLD 55.15

Event 3 Women 25 SC Meter Freestyle
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Nadine Rolland WORLD 11.73
5 Therese AlshammarEUROP 11.57
6 Colleen Lanne S&S 11.52
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Olga Mukomol WORLD 12.15
5 Sandra Volker EUROP 11.43
6 Tammie Stone S&S 11.53

Event 4 Men 25 SC Meter Freestyle
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Brendan DedekindWORLD 9.96
5 Mark Foster EUROP 9.89
6 Anthony RobinsonS&S 10.24
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Brett Hawke WORLD 10.02
5 Carsten Dehmlow EUROP 10.44
6 Aaron Ciarla S&S 9.93

Event 5 Women 50 SC Meter Butterfly
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Amanda Beard S&S 27.71
5 Martina MoravcovaWORLD 27.09
6 Inge De Bruijn EUROP 26.44
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Gabrielle Rose S&S 27.88
5 Nadine Rolland WORLD 27.40
6 Therese AlshammarEUROP 26.78

Event 6 Men 50 SC Meter Butterfly
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Nate Dusing S&S 24.15
5 Adam Pine WORLD 23.57
6 Lars Frolander EUROP 22.97#, NR
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Sabir Muhammad S&S 23.93
5 Geoff Huegill WORLD 23.36
6 Mark Foster EUROP 26.89

Event 7 Women 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Emma Igelstroem EUROP 31.58
5 Kristy Kowal S&S 31.41
6 Rhiannon Leir WORLD 31.99
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Zoe Baker EUROP 30.78NR, ER
5 Megan Quann S&S 30.94
6 Brooke Hanson WORLD 31.44

Event 8 Men 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Mark Warnecke EUROP 27.24
5 Anthony RobinsonS&S 27.94
6 Roman Sloudnov WORLD 27.22
Heat 2 Prelims
4 James Gibson EUROP 27.39
5 Ed Moses S&S 27.27
6 Brendan DedekindWORLD 27.95

Event 9 Women 50 SC Meter Backstroke
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Charlene WittstockWORLD 28.37
5 Mette Jacobsen EUROP 29.56
6 Christina SwindleS&S 29.14
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Jennifer CarrollWORLD 28.28
5 Sandra Volker EUROP 27.73
6 Haley Cope S&S 28.16

Event 10 Men 50 SC Meter Backstroke
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Simon Thirsk WORLD 25.85
5 Jens Thiele EUROP 25.55
6 Michael Gilliam S&S 23.93#
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Robert v.d. ZantWORLD 26.00
5 Neil Willey EUROP 25.15
6 Neil Walker S&S 24.36

Event 11 Women 50 SC Meter Freestyle
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Tammie Stone S&S 25.08
5 Martina MoravcovaWORLD 28.15
6 Inge De Bruijn EUROP 24.79
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Colleen Lanne S&S 25.12
5 Nadine Rolland WORLD 25.97
6 Therese AlshammarEUROP 25.08

Event 12 Men 50 SC Meter Freestyle
Lane Name Team Seed Time

Heat 1 Prelims
4 Jason Lezak S&S 21.79
5 Bart KizierowskiWORLD 21.85
6 Lars Frolander EUROP 21.92
Heat 2 Prelims
4 Gary Hall S&S 21.78
5 Brett Hawke WORLD 22.05
6 Mark Foster EUROP 21.80

FINALS

Event 13 Women’s 200 SC Meter MR
Lane Name Team Time
4 EUROPE (Volker, Baker, Jacobsen, Sjoberg) 1:51.23
5 S&S (Cope, Quann, Stone, Swindle) 1:51.66
6 WORLD (Witstock, Hanson, Carroll, Mueller) 1:51.94

Event 14 Men’s 200 SC Meter MR
Lane Name Team Time
4 EUROPE (Willey, Gibson, Dehmlow, Barnier) 1:37.93
5 S&S (Gillian, Moses, Muhammad, Lezak) 1:35.75
6 WORLD (Kizierowski, Sloudnov, Pine, Folker) 1:36.00

Event 15 Women’s 100 SC Meter IM
Lane Name Team Team
4 Martina Moravcova WORLD 1:00.81
5 Gabrielle Rose S&S 1:01.15
6 Amanda Beard S&S 1:01.50

Event 16 Men’s 100 SC Meter IM
Lane Name Team Time
4 Nate Dusing S&S 54.33
5 Robert V.d. Zant WORLD 54.75
6 Neil Walker S&S 53.14#

Event 17 Women’s 25 SC Meter Freestyle
Lane Name Team Time
4 Tammie Stone S&S 11.51
5 Therese Alshammar EUROPE 11.60
6 Colleen Lanne S&S 11.52

Event 18 Men 25 SC Meter Freestyle
Lane Name Team Time
4 Mark Foster EUROPE 10.04
5 Brendan Dedekind WORLD 9.98
6 Aaron Ciarla S&S 9.92

Event 19 Women’s 50 SC Meter Butterfly
Lane Name Team Time
4 Martina Moracova WORLD 26.67
5 Thereses Alshammar EUROPE 26.76
6 Inge de Bruijn EUROPE 26.22

Event 20 Men’s 50 SC Meter Butterfly
Lane Name Team Time
4 Lars Frolander EUROPE 23.23
5 Adam Pine WORLD 23.65
6 Geoff Huegill WORLD 22.95

Event 21 Women’s 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
Lane Name Team Time
4 Kristy Kowal S&S 31.55
5 Megan Quann S&S 31.17
6 Zoe Baker EUROPE 30.88

Event 22 Men’s 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
Lane Name Team Time
4 Ed Moses S&S 26.92 NR 5 Mark Warnacke EUROPE 27.15
6 James Gibson EUROPE 27.39 (Sloudnov, 27.17 in finals was DQ'ed for flinching on start)

Event 23 Women’s 50 SC Meter Backstroke
Lane Name Team Time
4 Haley Cope S&S 27.72 5 Sandra Volker EUROPE 27.81
6 Jennifer Carroll WORLD 28.53

Event 24 Men's 50 SC Meter Backstroke
Lane Name Team Time
4 Neil Walker S&S 24.28
5 Neil Willey EUROPE 25.27
6 Michael Gilliam S&S 24.17

Event 25 Women’s 50 SC Meter Freeestyle
Lane Name Team Time
4 Tammie Stone S&S 25.06
5 Therese Alshammar EUROPE 25.20
6 Inge de Bruijn EUROPE 24.73

Event 26 Men’s 50 SC Meter Freestyle
Lane Name Team Time
4 Gary Hall S&S 21.91
5 Mark Foster EUROPE 21.71
6 Jason Lezak S&S 21.73

Event 25 Women’s 200 Freestyle Relay
Lane Name Team Time
4 WORLD (Mukomol, Moravcova, Rolland, Muller) 1:43.11
5 EUROPE (Sjoberg, Alshammar, Volker, de Bruijn) 1:38.95
6 S&S (Lanne, Rose, Swindle, Stone) 1:39.59

Event 26 Men’s 200 Meter Freestyle Relay
Lane Name Team Time
4 WORLD (Folker, Hawke,Kizierowski, Dedekind) 1:26.21#
5 EUROPE (Frolander, Dehmlow, Barnier, Foster) 1:28.15
6 S&S (Ciarla (21.64), Dusing, Walker, Lezak) 1:25.87 WB

Swimmers of The Meet:
Women: Inge de Bruin
Men: Geoff Huegill

Winning Novo Nordisk Sprint Championship Team:
Team Stars & Stripes

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