Flash! World Champs, Day 2 Evening Session: Hardy Blisters World Record in 100 Breaststroke Semifinal

By John Lohn
Photos by Peter H. Bick

MONTREAL, Canada, July 25. FROM high school phenom to world-record holder. That’s the route Jessica Hardy has traveled during the past few months. Winning the first semifinal of the 100-meter breaststroke on Monday night, the teenager from California blistered a mark of 1:06.20, easily lowering the global standard of Australia’s Leisel Jones, which stood at 1:06.37 since 2003.

Hardy pushed the pace from the outset of her semifinal heat, touching at the 50-meter mark in 31.03. She continued to sizzle during the last half of the race and was well clear of her competition heading into the wall. Her race was with the clock and Hardy won that battle, too. Swimming World’s Female High School Swimmer of the Year, Hardy became the first scholastic woman to crack the one-minute mark in the 100-yard breast in the spring.

Now, Hardy will turn her attention to winning a world title and, perhaps, dipping under 1:06. By swimming her 1:06.20, Hardy also erased the American record of 1:07.05, held by Megan Jendrick since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Qualifying second behind Hardy was Jones, who touched in 1:06.93. The United States’ Tara Kirk took the third qualifying spot with an effort of 1:07.20.

The remainder of the field for the championship final will include Germany’s Sarah Poewe (1:07.80), China’s Luo Xuejuan (1:08.01), Australia’s Brooke Hanson (1:08.33), Italy’s Chiara Boggiatto (1:08.48) and South Africa’s Suzaan Van Biljon (1:08.50). Luo is the two-time defending champ, but recently suffered an ankle injury.

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