World Champs, Day 4 Evening Session: Figues Collects Gold Medal in 200 Freestyle -- July 27, 2005

By John Lohn
Photos by Peter H. Bick

MONTREAL, Canada, July 27. ON a worldwide basis, the 200 freestyle among women can be described only one way: Weak. Still, Solenne Figues will be satisfied with her world-championship foray in the four-lap freestyle. Representing France, Figues moved up from third place at the 150-meter mark and claimed the gold medal in 1:58.60.

While Figues’ clocking was less than spectacular, a recurring theme in the event in recent times, it was enough to hold off a challenge from Italy’s Federica Pellegrini. Ranked first in the world this year with the only time under 1:58, Pellegrini covered the championship race in 1:58.73. There was a tie for the bronze medal between China’s Yang Yu and Sweden’s Josefin Lillhage. Both women posted times of 1:59.08.

Slovenia’s Sara Isakovic was the fifth-place finisher in 1:59.23 and Poland’s Paulina Barzycka was sixth with a performance of 1:59.34. Great Britain’s Melanie Marshall continued to struggle in major meets, as she managed only seventh place in 1:59.36. The field was rounded out by Australia’s Linda Mackenzie, who checked in at 2:00.02.