Marcus Titus Among World Record Breakers At Deaf World Swimming Championships

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

In the same pool where he raced just a week earlier at the USA Swimming nationals, Marcus Titus has been one of the highlights of the deaf world swimming championships, breaking a world record in the 100 freestyle. Three others have broken world records in the first three days of competition.

Titus won the 100 free with a 51.22, beating his own mark of 51.42 from the 2011 world deaf championships. Also dipping under the record was Russia’s Vitalii Obotin with a 51.35. The two were tied at 24.65 at the 50-meter mark, with Titus pulling off a 26.57 to gain the victory and keep the world record.

Titus also went after his deaf world record (and lifetime best) of 1:00.00 in the 100 breaststroke, but fell short with a 1:00.59. Titus can take some comfort in knowing that it’s faster than he swam at U.S. nationals for seventh place, and is his second-fastest time in a textile suit after the 1:00.49 he posted at the 2012 Olympic Trials. Unlike the 100 free final, Titus was unchallenged in the 100 breast and won by four seconds over the 1:04.83 by Russia’s Martin Fomin.

South Africa’s Peggy De Villiers won the women’s 50 butterfly with a 28.28, well under the deaf world record of 29.16 by of Sweden. She first broke the record with a 28.40 in prelims.

The world record in the men’s 50 backstroke fell twice in one day, both times by Japan’s Yoshikazu Kanaji. In prelims, Kanaji topped all swimmers with a 27.35 to beat the shared world record of 27.90 by Ireland’s John Kealy from 2005 and Japan’s Ryutaro Ibata from 2011. Kanaji was back in force for the final, winning with a 27.06.

Ibata was also a part of the 50 back final, finishing second with a 27.69 to swim faster than his previous record.

Also breaking a world record twice was Aksana Petrushenka of Belarus. In the prelims of the 50 breast, Petrushenka posted a 32.85 to beat her own mark of 33.27 from 2009. In finals, she won with a 32.96.

Petrushenka nearly cracked her own world record of 2:35.65 in the women’s 200 breast, winning the title with a 2:36.08. She also chased her world record of 2:22.78 in the 200 IM, falling short with a 2:24.97 to win the event.

Deaf world records can be set at any sanctioned competition by a legally-deaf swimmer, and are only set in long course competition. Some of the world records have been around for more than a decade. American Jeff Float, a part of the 1984 Olympic team, owns the 400 free world record with a 3:53.42 from the 1978 world championships. Terence Parkin of South Africa, who won the silver medal in the 200 breast at the 2000 Olympics, owns world records in the 200 free (1:53.12), 1500 free (16:08.56), 200 breast (2:12.50), 200 IM (2:03.33) and 400 IM (4:16.92).

The deaf world championships continues through Saturday. Full results can be found on Meet Mobile.

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