World University Games: Near Meet-Record Sweep During Day Five of Swimming

BANGKOK, Thailand, August 13. COMPETITORS at the World University Games held in Bangkok, Thailand nearly gave fans a meet-record sweep as only one event came up short of the Universiade standard during the fifth night of swimming.

Men's 400 IM
The United States' Pat Mellors ripped off a Universiade-record time of 4:12.94, which put him seventh in the world this year behind Laszlo Cseh's 4:12.35 recorded at the Hungary National Championships in July. The effort also vaulted Mellors into top-10 contention all-time behind Robert Margalis' 4:12.92 set at the 2006 US National Championships.

Meanwhile, teammate Alex Vanderkaay garnered silver in 4:17.34 to knock three seconds off his previous personal-best time of 4:20.37 clocked a month ago.

Italy's Federico Turrini completed the top three in 4:19.96.

Women's 50 butterfly
Austria's Fabienne Nadarajah won a hotly-contested battle in the women's 50 fly. She touched in 26.81, just ahead of second-place finishers from Japan Yuka Kato and Masae Oshimi, who tied with matching 26.82s. Angela San Juan of Spain wound up fourth in 26.85. Notably, the United States' Elaine Breeden finished seventh in 27.08.

Remarkably, Belarus' Aleksandra Herasimenia tore through the B final with a Games-record effort of 26.63, a time that would have easily won the title. The performance also ties her with Ukraine's Olena Lapunova for 10th in the world this year, just behind Dana Vollmer and Libby Lenton's matching 26.58s.

Men's 200 freestyle
The United States' Adam Ritter turned in a Universiade-record readout of 1:47.42 to jump into eighth in the world this year in the event. He now sits behind the 1:47.18 registered by Italy's Massi Rosolino at Worlds in March.

Great Britain's Andrew Hunter picked up silver in 1:48.17, while Canada's Brian Johns claimed bronze in 1:48.29. Additionally, the United States' Shaun Phillips took sixth in 1:49.01.

Women's 1500 freestyle
The second-fastest active women's 1500 freestyler in the world, Switzerland's Flavia Rigamonti, easily crushed the competition in the metric mile. She notched a Games-record time of 16:05.90 as she finished nearly half-a-second ahead of her closest competitor. Rigamonti is third all-time in the world in the 1500 with a best time of 15:55.38 set at Worlds this year. She stands behind world-record holder Kate Ziegler (15:42.54) and former world-record holder Janet Evans (15:52.10).

Japan's Chika Yonenaga placed second in 16:27.86, while the United States' Kelsey Ditto finished third in 16:36.31. Ditto's teammate, Kim Larson, took fourth in 16:39.47.

Men's 50 butterfly
Ukraine's Sergiy Breus, the third-quickest man in the event all time, had a fight on his hands. Brazil's Nicholas Dias Dos Santos fell just .03 seconds short of the upset, with Breus touching him out, 23.71 to 23.74. Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin rounded out the top three in 23.86.

Women's 400 medley relay
Japan's foursome of Aya Terakawa (1:01.61), Nanaka Tamura (1:07.88), Yuka Kato (58.22) and Norie Urabe (55.40) set the Games standard with a time of 4:03.11. The United States' team of Brooke Bishop, Eleanor Weberg, Elaine Breeden and Emily Silver finished second in 4:03.96, while Canada's quartet of Kelly Stefanyshyn, Annamay Pierse, Mackenzie Downing and Seanna Mitchell took third in 4:04.52.

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