Russian Relay World Record, Sarah Sjostrom Highlight Day Two Prelims at Short Course Worlds

DOHA – The second day of prelims had some key performances, including a world record from the Russian men’s 200 medley relay. Additionally, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom picked up a pair of top sprint seeds heading into finals.

Men’s 200 medley relay

Photo Courtesy: Joao Marc Bosch

The Russian foursome of Stanislav Donets (23.73), Sergei Geybel (25.96), Aleksandr Popkov (22.47) and Evgeny Sedov (20.62) started the morning off right with a world record in the men’s 200-meter medley relay. The Russian squad blitzed the second heat with a 1:32.78, a time that FINA has listed as a world record at this point, breaking the 1:33.65 listed as the world record from 2013 by Italy.

Italy set the 1:33.65 during prelims of the 2013 European Short Course Championships in Herning, Denmark in Dec. 2013.

At that same meet during finals, the Russian quartet of Vitaly Melnikov (23.72), Oleg Kostin (26.18), Nikita Konovalov (21.92) and Vlad Morozov (20.56) posted a 1:32.38. However that record was stripped after Melnikov tested positive for EPO.

France’s Ben Stasiulis (23.49), Giacomo Perez-Dortona (25.92), Mehdy Metella (22.45) and Clement Mignon (21.24) took second in prelims with a 1:33.10, while USA’s Matt Grevers (23.37), Brad Craig (26.46), Tom Shields (22.29) and Josh Schneider (21.13) did in fact take down the American record in the event.

Previously, Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Garrett Weber-Gale raced to a 1:34.58 back in 2004 in East Meadow for the previous American mark.

Brazil (1:33.48), Great Britain (1:33.87), South Africa (1:34.31), Italy (1:34.43) and Lithuania (1:34.81) also made their way into the championship field.

Women’s 100 free

Photo Courtesy: FINA Doha 2014

Sarah Sjostrom, who leads the world this year with a 51.32 from the Swedish Short Course Championships, put up the top time in the prelims with a 52.44 as she obviously shut it down heading into semis.

The Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk joined her with a 52.44, off her second-ranked 51.62 from the Danish Short Course Championships, while Ranomi Kromowidjojo seeded third with a 52.66 as the two world-record setters from last night will look to pick up the pace in semis.

Australia’s Bronte Campbell (52.67), USA’s Shannon Vreeland (52.80), Sweden’s Michelle Coleman (52.81) and Italy’s Erika Ferraioli (52.87) all broke 53 seconds in qualifying.

Russia’s Veronika Popova (53.01), USA’s Abbey Weitzeil (53.08), France’s Charlotte Bonnet (53.09), Brazil’s Larissa Oliveria (53.19), China’s Shen Duo (53.22), Denmark’s Pernille Blume (53.28), Japan’s Miki Uchida (53.35), Bahamas’ Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (53.41) and Finland’s Hanna-Maria Seppala (53.57) also made semis.

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Men’s 400 IM

Photo Courtesy: FINA Doha 2014

A heavyweight battle is in the works after a strong set of prelims swims in the distance medley. Swimming World’s World Swimmer of the Year Kosuke Hagino paced prelims with a 4:02.13. That moved him up to fourth in the world behind Thomas Fraser-Holmes (3:58.69), Daiya Seto (3:59.91) and David Verraszto (4:02.52).

USA’s Tyler Clary, meanwhile, checked in with a second-seeded time of 4:02.27 to move to fifth in the world, while South Africa’s Sebastien Rousseau popped a third-seeded 4:02.71 for sixth in the world now.

Verraszto (4:02.97) and Seto (4:03.73) obviously kept their powder dry by cruising through their prelim swims, banking energy for a sizzling finale tonight.

Russia’s Semen Makovich (4:06.31), Israel’s Gal Nevo (4:06.56) and USA’s Michael Weiss (4:07.47) will also compete for the world title tonight.

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Women’s 50 fly

Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom went back-to-back with the top seed as she clocked a 25.08 after leading the 100 free as well. Her time cleared her third-ranked season best of 25.10 from the Swedish Short Course Championships.

Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen, second in the world with a 24.88, took second in prelims with a 25.39, while Inge Dekker posted a 25.61 for the third seed. Dekker leads the world this year with a 24.59 from the Dubai stop of the FINA World Cup.

China’s Lu Ying (25.65), Italy’s Silvia Di Pietro (25.66), Brazil’s Daynara De Paula (25.81), China’s Qiu Yuhan (25.83), Poland’s Aleksandra Urbanczyk (25.83) and USA’s Felicia Lee (25.83) made up the rest of the top half of semis.

Belgium’s Kimberly Buys (25.87), Russia’s Anastasiia Liazeva (25.97), France’s Marie Wattell (25.99), France’s Melanie Henique (26.04), USA’s Claire Donahue (26.05), Russia’s Rozaliya Nasretdinova (26.07) and Brazil’s Daiene Marcal Dias (26.11) will also compete in the semifinals.

Men’s 50 free

Photo Courtesy: Pamela Roberts

After turning in a strong split for Brazil’s 400 free relay, Cesar Cielo jumped into individual action for the first time with a 21.00 in the 50 free. That’s a bit off his second-ranked season best of 20.68 from the Jose Finkel Trophy.

Italy’s Marco Orsi qualified second in 21.02 to move to fifth in the world, while Russia’s Vlad Morozov popped a 21.08 to take seventh in the rankings.

USA’s Josh Schneider, already in the top 10 in the world with a 21.07 from the Doha stop of the FINA World Cup, tied Florent Manaudou for fourth today with a 21.11. Manaudou, meanwhile, leads the world with a 20.51 from French Short Course Championships.

Russia’s Oleg Tihobaev (21.20), Ukraine’s Andrii Govorov (21.24) and Japan’s Shinri Shioura (21.25) made the top half of the semis field.

China’s Ning Zetao (21.26), France’s Clement Mignon (21.37), Belgium’s Francois Heersbrandt (21.45), Australia’s Matt Abood (21.46), USA’s Jimmy Feigen (21.48), Australia’s Cameron McEvoy (21.50), Great Britain’s Ben Proud (21.52) and Brazil’s Alan Vitoria (21.62) closed out the semifinal field.

Women’s 100 IM

Photo Courtesy: FINA Doha 2014

After a difficult night one during which she lost to rival Mireia Belmonte Garcia twice in finals, Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu bounced back with a strong swim in the sprint medley this morning.

Hosszu threw down a meet-record 56.99 to challenge her world record of 56.86 from the Dubai stop of the FINA World Cup this year. Her time blasted her previous meet mark of 58.49 from Istanbul in 2012.

Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor touched second in 57.98 to move to second in the world, while Israel’s Amit Ivry qualified third in 58.77 for a top 10 time in the world.

USA’s Melanie Margalis (58.77), Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson (59.16), Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte (59.27), Finland’s Hanna-Maria Seppala (59.66), China’s Chen Xinyi (59.79), Hungary’s Evelyn Verraszto (59.86) and USA’s Caitlin Leverenz (59.94) all broke 1:00 to make semis.

Austria’s Lisa Zaiser (1:00.12), Ukraine’s Ganna Dzerkal (1:00.35), Australia’s Ellen Fullerton (1:00.35), Austria’s Lena Kreundl (1:00.41) and Russia’s Vitalina Simonova (1:00.64) rounded out the rest of semis.

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Men’s 800 free relay

Photo Courtesy: David Farr

Italy’s Mitch D’Arrigo (1:43.45), Marco Belotti (1:43.97), Nicolangelo Di Fabio (1:43.84) and Filippo Magnini (1:43.44) put up the top time of the morning with a 6:54.70, while Team USA’s Matt McLean (1:43.65), Michael Klueh (1:43.94), Michael Weiss (1:44.19) and Darian Townsend (1:43.25) managed to take second in 6:55.03.

Brazil’s Joao De Lucca (1:42.02), Gustavo Godoy (1:44.22), Fernando Santos (1:44.24) and Gabriel Ogawa (1:45.02) claimed third seed heading into tonight’s finale with a 6:55.50.

Meanwhile, Russia (6:56.72), Belgium (6:56.90), South Africa (6:58.03), Denmark (6:58.65) and Germany (6:59.40) rounded out the top eight headed to finals.

Mixed 200 medley relay

Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse

Great Britain’s Chris Walker-Hebborn (23.47), Adam Peaty (25.78), Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (25.59) and Fran Halsall (23.32) charged to the top time in prelims with a 1:38.16. That’s just a second off the world record of 1:37.17 held by Team USA.

USA’s Eugene Godsoe (23.30), Brad Craig (26.35), Felicia Lee (25.58) and Natalie Coughlin (23.55) finished second in 1:38.78, while Italy’s Simone Sabbioni (23.91), Fabio Scozzoli (26.02), Silvia Di Pietro (25.46) and Erika Ferraioli (23.52) wound up third in 1:38.91.

Russia (1:39.37), Brazil (1:39.60), Germany (1:40.08), Ukraine (1:40.35) and Czech Republic (1:40.77) all broke 1:41 to make the finale.

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Scheduled Events

Men’s 200 medley relay
Women’s 100 free
Men’s 400 IM
Women’s 50 fly
Men’s 50 free
Women’s 100 IM
Men’s 800 free relay
Mixed 200 medley relay
Women’s 800 free slower seeds

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Dunc1952

9 years ago

where is the second aussie