Streamlined News, July 18, 2011

PHOENIX, Arizona. THE FINA world championships began on Saturday, with gold medals handed out so far in diving and synchronized swimming. Most of the winners were repeat champions, such as Natalia Ishchenko, who took her third-consecutive technical solo world title with 98.30 points. Ishchenko came back today to win the technical duet routine with Svetlana Romashina to give Russia an unbeaten streak at worlds in the duet. Ishchenko will also perform for Russia in the team routine this week, and it looks like she will leave Shanghai with a perfect sweep of synchronized swimming gold medals.

Speaking of sweeps, China is on pace to take all 12 gold medals in diving. Competing in their home country in their best aquatic sport seems to be helping the Chinese, some of whom are repeating as world champions. Wu Minxia and He Zi won the first gold medal handed out at these championships in the women's three-meter synchro event. The next day, Qiu Bo and Huo Liang won the men's 10-meter synchro and today China upped its gold medal tally to four in diving with wins from Li Shixin in the men's individual 1-meter competition and Wang Hao and Chen Ruolin in the women's 10-meter synchro event. The United States has not won a medal yet, though Chris Colwill placed fourth in the men's 1-meter, missing bronze by about nine points.

The U.S. isn't faring so well in men's water polo, either, losing their opening match to Germany 9-7. Though recent Morning Swim Show guest Tony Azevedo scored two goals for the Americans, the Germans had more stamina through the match. Serbia, the defending men's water polo world champions, had no trouble with their opening match, beating China 17-5.

The first open water race of these world championships gets underway at 9 a.m. Shanghai time tomorrow with the women's 10K swim. Remember that the top 10 finishers will get an automatic invitation to swim the event in the Olympics, so more than medals will be on the line. Eva Fabian and Christine Jennings will line up at the start for the United States, as well as defending champion Keri-Anne Payne from Great Britain.

All recaps from the world championships so far can be found on the respective sport channels at swimmingworld.com.

Laure Manaudou completed her first competition in her comeback quest last weekend with times that will not likely make her international competition sit up and take notice. But they should be viewed, like all other swims done by high-profile swimmers making comebacks, as a first step. She won the 200 free on Friday evening at the USA Swimming sectional meet in 1:59.30, and was out-touched by Megan Romano in the 100 back, 1:01.05 to 1:01.12. Manaudou closed out the meet with a 2:10.20 in the 200 back, putting her in the top 20 in the world in the event.

If an award existed for top American age group swimmer of the year, Matthew Hirschberger of Clearwater Aquatics would be a front runner. The 11-year-old took down three national age group records in the 11-12 age group last weekend at the Florida age group championships, all of which were previously owned by Maverick Smalley. Those events were the 200 free, 400 free and 800 free. His time in the 200 free might be the most impressive. He almost broke two minutes with a 2:00.88. Before turning 11, Hirschberger had taken down a Smalley national age group record in the 10-and-under age group in the 100 breaststroke earlier this year.

Nick D'Arcy and a small team of Australians crossed the Pacific to compete this weekend at the Los Angeles Invitational. D'Arcy won the 200 fly in 1:56.88, which is about a second slower than the time he swam to beat Michael Phelps at the Santa Clara Invitational last month. D'Arcy will be returning to Australia with the news that he will owe Simon Cowley $180,000 for assaulting him in March 2008 after the Australian Olympic Trials. D'Arcy had pleaded guilty to the assault last year and served a suspended sentence, after which Cowley sued D'Arcy in civil court. The fine covers $135,000 for compensatory damages, which could include the surgeries Cowley has endured to fix the bruising and injuries sustained in that 2008 fight.

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