Paris Open: Cesar Cielo, Femke Heemskerk Clock Top-Ranked 100 Frees

PARIS, France, June 26. THE two-day Paris Open accomplished its annual mission of putting strong sprint times into the world rankings. Today was no different, as a pair of top-ranked long course meter efforts went up on the scoreboard.

Brazil's Cesar Cielo continued his remarkable meet by improving on his top-ranked season best in the men's 50 free with a victorious 21.66. That performance cleared the 21.73 he set in May, and is Cielo's third sub-22 second time of the year as he also clocked a 21.95 in May. Cielo is moving ever closer to the men's 50 free textile best of 21.36 clocked by Fred Bousquet last August.

Bousquet claimed second in the splash-and-dash tonight with a 21.78 to better his season best of 21.82 from March. He remains second to Cielo this year. Ukraine's Andrii Govorov placed third in 22.04 to move into a sixth-place tie in the world rankings. USA's Nathan Adrian finished fourth this evening in 22.26, just off his 15th-ranked 22.23 from May.

The Netherlands' Femke Heemskerk clocked a top-ranked time of her own with a 53.60 to win the women's 100 free. That effort clipped Fran Halsall's previous pace-setter of 53.61 set earlier this month. Heemskerk now stands tied for 16th on the all-time list. Russia's Veronika Popova raced into second with a 54.86, short of her 10th-ranked 54.22 from April. Germany's Silke Lippok completed the podium with a 55.09 after posting a second-seeded 54.81 during prelims.

France's Camille Muffat dominated the women's 400 free with a top time of 4:03.23 to move into second in the world rankings behind only Rebecca Adlington's 4:02.84 from March. Only Federica Pellegrini has joined Adlington and Muffat under 4:04 this year with a now-third-ranked 4:03.49 from April. France's Coralie Balmy finished second in 4:08.25, while Spain's Melanie Costa Schmid placed third in 4:08.26.

France's Yannick Agnel scorched the men's 200 free with a 1:45.59, just missing his second-ranked season best of 1:45.47 set back in March. Only Sun Yang has been faster with a top-ranked 1:44.99. France's Jeremy Stravius placed second in 1:47.45 for 11th in the rankings, while Russia's Danila Izotov took third in 1:48.99. Izotov has been much faster this year with a fifth-ranked season best of 1:46.14.

France's Camille Lacourt, who owns the top time in the world with a 24.36 from March, won the men's 50 back this evening in 24.61. USA's Randall Bal placed second in his pet event with a 24.89, just off his third-ranked season best of 24.83 from January. USA's Matt Grevers snared third overall in 25.30 just off his 15th-ranked season best of 25.29 from prelims.

USA's Annie Chandler became just the seventh woman under 31 seconds in the women's 50 breast with a 30.89 for the win tonight. That swim put her sixth in the world rankings, ahead of Jennie Johansson's 30.95 from earlier this month. Germany's Caroline Ruhnau touched second in 31.01, while compatriot Laura Simon earned third in 31.29. Ruhnau improve to eighth in the world with her clocking, while Simon tied for 16th in the world. Additionally, The Netherlands' Moniek Nijhuis (31.33) and Germany's Dorothea Brandt (31.62) finished fourth and fifth with top-25 consideration times.

The Netherlands' Inge Dekker pocketed the women's 50 fly title in 25.89, off her second-ranked season best of 25.57 set in March. France's Melanie Henique touched second in 26.23 to tie Lu Ying for 11th in the world, while Estonia's Triin Aljand placed third in 26.26 for 13th in the rankings. Brazil's Dandara Antonio cracked the top 25 in the world rankings with a fourth-place 26.80.

Norway's Alexander Dale Oen won the men's 100 breast in 1:00.33, just off his fifth-ranked season best of 1:00.24 from earlier this month. Italy's Fabio Scozzoli finished second in 1:00.51 to tie for 10th in the world, while France's Giacomo Perez Dortona took third in 1:00.89 for 18th in the world. Brazil's Felipe Silva (1:01.09) and USA's Mark Gangloff (1:01.13) took fourth and fifth.

USA's Kim Vandenburg grabbed 19th in the overall rankings in the women's 200 fly with a top time of 2:08.81. Italy's Alessia Polieri finished second in 2:11.84, while Brazil's Joanna Maranhao claimed third in 2:12.57.

Tunisia's Ous Mellouli dominated the men's 1500 free in 15:07.56, while France's Sebastien Rouault took second in 15:19.29. Denmark's Mads Glaesner finished third in 15:21.98. Mellouli's fastest time this year is a sixth-ranked 15:01.65 from February.

Germany's Steffen Deibler held off Poland's Pawel Korzeniowski, 52.47 to 52.89, in the men's 100 fly. Deibler's top time this year is a sixth-ranked 52.03, while Korzeniowski moved into the top 20 with his effort. Brazil's Henrique Martins rounded out the top three in 53.43.

Australia's Sophie Edington grabbed the women's 100 back title in 1:00.78, just off her season best 22nd-ranked 1:00.70. France's Alexianne Castel finished second in 1:01.37, while Germany's Jenny Mensing touched third in 1:01.67.

France's Lara Grangeon topped the women's 400 IM in 4:45.23, while Russia's Jana Martinova touched second in 4:46.71. Spain's Beatriz Gomez Cortes wound up third in 4:47.30. Barbados' Bradley Ally claimed the men's 200 IM in 2:00.65, while Brazil's Henrique Rodrigues finished second in 2:01.62. Germany's Jan David Schepers earned third in 2:02.03.

Serbia's Nadja Higl posted a 2:27.17 to win the women's 200 breast, while Morocco's Sara El Bekri finished second in 2:28.19. Germany's Caroline Ruhnau completed the podium in 2:28.92. France's Jeremy Stravius followed with a 1:58.49 to win the men's 200 back. Poland's Radoslaw Kawecki took second in 1:59.13, while Brazil's Leonardo De Deus hit the wall in 2:01.28 for third.

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