Masters Worlds, Day 3: Seven More World Records Fall; Germans, Brits Dominate Breaststroke

By Peter Andersen

RICCIONE, Italy, June 5. GERMAN and British swimmers dominated the third day of competition at the FINA Masters World Championships in Riccione, Italy, where a heavy, steady rain failed to dampen competitive spirits.

Germans won a total of eight age divisions in the 200m breaststroke, while British swimmers took five. Americans were shut out entirely from the top of the podium.

Day Three also saw swimmers from seven more countries win gold here for the first time: Portugal, Estonia, Israel, Finland, Cuba, the Czech Republic and Venezuela. At the end of the day, swimmers from 26 different nations had won at least one gold medal here.

In the women's 200m breaststroke, Germany's Ulrike Urbaniak set a 50-54 mark at 3:03.23, breaking Briton Jennifer Merritt's standard of 3:04.41 from 2002.

Austria's Sylvie Neuhauser blasted the 75-79 mark of 4:08.40 by Russia's Olga Kokorina with her 3:55.25. Kokorina did not rtemain recordless for long, taking the 80-84 mark down from 4:42.75 to 4:31.85.

On the men's side, Nick Gillingham, Olympic silver and bronze medalist, clocked a 35-39 WR of 2:20.29, breaking the global standard of 2:24.37 by David Guthrie in 1995. It was also the fastest swim of the meet.

Italy's Lorenzo Marugo won his third event and set his second world record for men 50-54 with a brilliant 2:35.08. As in the 200 IM, the former record belonged to the USA's Rick Colella, who swam 2:39.08 in 2001.

In the 60-64 age group, two men dipped under the old mark of 2:56.69, set last year by Israel's Gershon Shefa. The USA's Ken Frost, who led for 185 meters, swam 2:55.56, but Shefa had a great final lap to touch first in 2:55.26.

Notable wins were scored by US Olympian Cristina Teuscher, swimming for Great Britain where she currently resides (W. 25-29, 2:43.89); former East German Olympian Sylvia Gerasch (W. 35-39, 2:47.19); Russian Olympian Timur Podmarev (M. 45-49, 2:36.37); and Cuban R. Cordobes de Beon (M. 90-94, 8:06.28).

Only one world record fell in the 400 free, where the inimitable Jane Asher stroked smoothly to a global standard of 6:05.25 for women 70-74. The old mark was 6:07.62 set in '02 by — who else? — Jane Asher.

Four American women won gold in the 400: Susanne Simpson, 4:39.93 in the 40-44 age group; Suzanne Heim-Bowen in the 45-49 division, where she clocked 4:39.70, just off her 4:39.28 standard from last year; Jackie Marr, 60-64; and Rita Simonton, 85-89.

Other notable winners: Cristina Teuscher, representing Great Britain, 4:30.24 to win the 25-29 age group; Portugal's A. Mendes Grilo, 35-39, 4:41.59; and Mexico's Laura Vaca, 50-54, 5:08.39

Two American men won gold in the 400 free. Tod Spieker took his third race in the 55-59 age group, clocking 4:42.22, while Bill Lauer won his second in the 70-74 age group, touching in 5:52.21.

The fastest time was turned in by A. Marcato of Italy, winner of the 30-34 race in 4:10.66. Olympian Daniel Machek, Czech Republic, won the 45-49 race in 4:24.84. Japaan's T. Komeda won the gold for men 90-94 in 8:33.93.

FINA Masters World Championships
Riccione, Italy

50 meter pool

RESULTS
Day Three: June 5, 2004

Women’s 200m breaststroke
25 – 29 anni – C. Teuscher (GBR) 2'43"89
30 – 34 anni – K. Jackson (GBR) 2'45"80
35 – 39 anni – S. Gerasch (GER) 2'47"19
40 – 44 anni – M. Charles (FRA) 2'53"47
45 – 49 anni – A. Heath (GBR) 2'59"90
50 – 54 anni – U. Urbaniak (GER) 3.03"23 R.M.
55 – 59 anni – U. Hoffmann (GER) 3'18"71
60 – 54 anni – H. Berget (GER) 3'18"05
65 – 69 anni – L. Knoepfle ( GER) 3'27"71
70 – 74 anni – E. Pellis (BEL) 3'45"28
75 – 79 anni – S. Neuhauser (AUT) 3'55"25 R.M.
80 – 84 anni – O. Kokorina (RUS) 4'31"85 R.M.
85 – 89 anni – M. Hanuro (JPN) 5'50"41

Men’s 200m breaststroke
25 – 29 anni – M. Cheppel (GBR) 2'25"99
30 – 34 anni – R. Pachel (EST) 2'27"74
35 – 39 anni – N. Gillingham (GBR) 2'20"29 R.M.
40 – 44 anni – T. Ligl (GER) 2'36"51
45 – 49 anni – T. Podmarev (RUS) 2'36"37
50 – 54 anni – L. Marugo (ITA) 2'35"08 R.M.
55 – 59 anni – A. Sica (ITA) 3'00"67
60 – 64 anni – G. Shefa (ISR) 2'55"26 R.M.
65 – 69 anni – H. Reichelt (GER) 3'14"52
70 – 74 anni – H. Herbert (AUT) 3'28"07
75 – 79 anni – E. Salonen (FIN) 3'43"39
80 – 84 anni – H. Bungeroth (GER) 4'14"37
85 – 89 anni – L. Ingmo (SWE) 5'26"27
90 – 94 anni – R. Cordovès de Beon (CUB) 8'06"28

Women’s 400m freestyle
25 – 29 anni – C. Teuscher (GBR) 4'30"24
30 – 34 anni – C. Sossi (ITA) 4'39"56
35 – 39 anni – A. Mendes Grilo (POR) 4'41"59
40 – 44 anni – S. Simpson (USA) 4'39"93
45 – 49 anni – S. Heim-Bowen (USA) 4'39"70
50 – 54 anni – L. Vaca (MEX) 5'08"39
55 – 59 anni – R. Vivanco (PER) 5'22"65
60 – 64 anni – J. Marr (USA) 5'39"72
65 – 69 anni – H. Reich (GER) 6'16"57
70 – 74 anni – J. Asher (GBR) 6'05"25 R.M.
75 – 79 anni – B. Grilli (SWE) 7'11"94
80 – 84 anni – S.Benoit (FRA) 10'42"92
85 – 89 anni – R. Simonton (USA) 8'39"99

Men’s 400m freestyle
25 – 29 anni – G. Riovas Rodrìguez (VEN) 4'15"24
30 – 34 anni – A. Marcato (ITA) 4'10§"66
35 – 39 anni – D. Serra Verdaguer (ESP) 4ì12"29
40 – 44 anni – M. Keliber (GER) 4'16"44
45 – 49 anni – D. Machek (CZE) 4'24"84
50 – 54 anni – J. Chatard (FRA) 4'37"62
55 – 59 anni – R.T. Spieker (USA) 4'42"22
60 – 64 anni – S. Galletly (GBR) 5'02"66
65 – 69 anni – F. Momoni (ITA) 5'08"94
70 – 74 anni – W. Lauer (USA) 5'52"21
75 – 79 anni – A. Boghossian (BRA) 6'11"51
80 – 84 anni – K. Vickery (AUS) 7'11"03
85 – 89 anni – H. Dood (GBR) 8'18"97
90 – 94 anni – T. Komeda (JPN) 8'33"93

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