Telstra Grand Prix, Sydney, Day 1: Therese Alshammar Posts Swift 50 Free; Three Swimmers Double

SYDNEY, Australia, April 23. THE first day of competition is complete at the 2010 Telstra Grand Prix, with prelims being held in short course meters format and finals conducted in long course meters.

Fifty-eight of the 59 members of Australia's Pan Pacific team are competing in the meet, after completing a four-day training camp in Canberra. The only member of the team not at the meet is Nick D'Arcy, who is in rehabilitation for a knee injury.

Women's 50 breast
After posting a 31.88 in short course prelims, Leisel Jones won the five-woman long course final with a 31.41. Leiston Pickett was second in the final with a 31.85. Samantha Marshall rounded out the podium with a 32.46.

Men's 50 breast
Brenton Rickard posted a 27.51 in the morning prelims, then returned to win the long course final with a 28.10. Christian Sprenger was second in 28.23 and Sean Inkley was third in 29.58.

Women's 50 free
Sweden's Therese Alshammar has been training in Australia for almost two years, and she continues to put up top times Down Under. In the prelims of the 50 free, she posted a 24.58, then won the final in 24.82, the third-fastest time of the year. Marieke Guehrer was second in 25.39 and Cate Campbell was third with a 25.48.

Men's 50 free
Though he posted the fastest time in the short course prelims with a 22.06, Eamon Sullivan was unable to get his hand on the wall first in the final. The win went to Cameron Prosser, who touched in 22.37. Ashley Callus also got to the wall ahead of Sullivan with a 22.60. Sullivan was third in 22.71.

Women's 100 fly
Jessicah Schipper led two other women to sub-minute times in the long course final, winning in 59.52. Schipper and the rest of the field apparently coasted through short course prelims, with no one posting a time under 1:00. In second in the final was Alicia Coutts with a 59.79, and Stephanie Rice was third in 59.89.

Men's 200 fly
With the absence of national champion D'Arcy, Jayden Hadler was able to win the final with a 1:58.32, well ahead of Travis Nederpelt's 2:01.39. Calum Timms was third in 2:01.81. Notably, Lachlan Staples was the top qualifier for the final after posting a 1:59.60 in the short course prelims, but finished fourth in the final with a 2:01.96.

Women's 200 back
Belinda Hocking won with a 2:11.65, well ahead of Meagan Nay's second-place swim of 2:13.36. In third was Kerry McMaster with a 2:19.52.

Men's 100 back
With national champion Hayden Stoeckel sitting out the event, Ashley Delaney won with a 54.47 after posting a 53.17 in short course prelims. In second place was Ayrton Dickey in 57.40 and in third was Bradley Lewis with a 57.61.

Women's 100 breast
Jones returned to win her second event of the day with a 1:08.93. Marshall moved up a spot from her 50 breast finish to get second in 1:10.30, switching podium places with Pickett, who finished third in 1:10.82.

Men's 200 breast
Sprenger used 33.82 final 50 meters to win the event over Craig Calder. Sprenger's time of 2:13.57 was just ahead of Calder's 2:13.62. Rickard was third in 2:14.19.

Women's 200 free
Three women swam under the 2:00 mark in the long course final, with Blair Evans leading the way with her 1:59.41. Katie Goldman was second in 1:59.64. Kylie Palmer finished third in 1:59.86.

Men's 100 free
Prosser won his second event of the night, taking the sprint in 49.60. Kyle Richardson was second in 50.03, while Sullivan finished third again in 50.04.

Men's 200 IM
Hadler took his second win of the day with a 2:03.84 victory. Thomas Fraser-Holmes was second in 2:04.26 and Leith Brodie was third in 2:05.10.

Men's 400 free
After scratching the final of the 100 back, Robert Hurley was able to hold off Patrick Murphy in the 400 free with a winning time of 3:52.66. Murphy was second with a 3:55.67 and Jarrod Killey rounded out the podium with a 3:59.08.

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