World Short Course Championships: Day One Prelims

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MANCHESTER, England, April 9. IN the final major international meet before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, swimmers take to the water in the FINA World Short Course Championships with the first day or preliminary action.

Men's 200 free
The big story of the men's 200 free is that defending champ Ryk Neethling of South Africa did not make the trip. According to a report by IOL, Neethling, Roland Schoeman and Lyndon Ferns are not in Manchester to compete for South Africa. This is just a continuance of the long-standing drama that exists between the Tucson-based swimmers and their national governing body.

Italy's Massi Rosolino came out on fire with a swift time of 1:44.81 during the opening preliminary heats. His time stands just two seconds off Filippo Magnini's national record of 1:42.54 set two years ago.

Great Britain's David Carry finished second in qualifying with a time of 1:45.58, while Magnini tied with Russia's Alexander Sukhorukov for third with matching 1:45.64s.

"I am the first Brit to compete here and I knew it was important to get the crowd up, which I think I did," Carry told meet organizers. "I think tonight (Wednesday) will be a great final and I will be looking to improve my time. I wasn't feeling at my best last week and I got beaten twice. I hate losing a race and I don't want it to happen again here."

Other championship heat qualifiers include Brazil's Rodrigo Castro (1:45.65), Australia's Kenrick Monk (1:45.75), Latvia's Romans Miloslavskis (1:46.77) and Australia's Kirk Palmer (1:46.80).

Event Results

Women's 50 breast
Jessica Hardy of the United States grabbed the top qualifying spot in the semifinal round with a fantastic time of 30.48. She will be looking to improve upon her third-place finish in the event from 2006.

"That was fun! We don't often get to swim this event in the States so it's a blast coming here and racing it, especially with such a good field," Hardy told meet organizers. "My finishing time of 30.48 equals my pb, which is great. I'll see if I can go faster tonight."

Meanwhile, Great Britain's Kate Haywood qualified second with a time of 30.65, while Austria's Mirna Jukic took third in 30.70, which lowered her national record of 30.77 set last December.

Defending champion and world-record holder Jade Edmistone finished fourth with a time of 30.70, while New Zealand's Zoe Baker earned fifth in 30.82. Edmistone won in 2006 with a time of 30.22. In 2004, however, she set the global standard with a 29.90.

Russia's Yuliya Efimova (30.86), Australia's Sarah Katsoulis (30.87) and China's Wang Randi (31.17) rounded out the top eight.

The rest of the semifinalists were Elizabeth Tinnon of the U.S. (31.36), Jolijn Van Valkengoed of the Netherlands (31.38), Russia's Valentina Artemyeva (31.38), Belarus' Ina Kapishina (31.39), Norway's Katharina Stiberg (31.44), China's Sun Ye (31.53), Greece's Angeliki Exarchou (31.74) and South Africa's Suzaan van Biljon (31.82).

Event Results

Men's 100 back
With world-record holder Ryan Lochte likely looking to go after his 49.99 world record during the 400 medley relay, the individual title is wide open for the rest of the competitors.

Austria's Markus Rogan, the silver medalist in 2006 behind the now-retired Matt Welsh, topped qualifying with a time of 51.30. Meanwhile, Russia's Stanislav Donets finished a close second with a time of 51.35.

"No. I wanted to go out fast, but it didn't work," Rogan told meet organizers. "Well, I've been second seven times at World Championships, so it's about time to change that, you know."

Great Britain's Liam Tancock, who just set the long course world record in the 50 back, checked in third with a time of 51.43, while Randall Bal of the U.S. took fourth in 51.90. Bal will be looking to improve upon his bronze-medal-tying effort from 2006 when he tied with Germany's Helge Meeuw with matching 51.63s.

Other top eight finishers include Great Britain's Matthew Clay (52.04), Australia's Ashley Delaney (52.24), Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer (52.34) and South Africa's Gerhard Zandberg (52.48).

The last eight semifinalist spots were taken by Peter Marshall of the U.S. (52.51), Australia's Robert Hurley (52.71), Croatia's Gordan Kozulj (52.73), Israel's Guy Barnea (52.78), Brazil's Guilherme Guido (52.89), Canada's Callum Ng (52.98), China's Sun Xiaolei (53.18) and New Zealand's Daniel Bell (53.30).

Event Results

Women's 200 fly
Great Britain's Jemma Lowe demolished her country's national record with a time of 2:05.67 in qualifying. That performance far eclipsed the 2:06.54 set by Terri Dunning last December and gave her lane four in this evening's finals.

"I did quite good," Lowe told meet organizers. "I wasn't nervous, I was excited to do short course. It's good to have less pressure on you. Hopefully I will get a medal. And enjoy the atmosphere."

Australia's Felicity Galvez qualified second with a time of 2:06.03, while Great Britain's Jessica Dickons took third in front of a home crowd with a time of 2:06.61.

Mary DeScenza of the U.S. placed fourth in 2:06.75, while China's Ha Sinan finished fifth in 2:07.89. Sweden's Petra Granlund (2:08.52), Australia's Samantha Hamill (2:08.56) and Erin Reilly of the U.S. (2:09.58) collected the final transfer spots into finals.

Three new medalists compared to 2006 are guaranteed in the event as Jessicah Schipper (2:05.11), Francesca Segat (2:05.91) and Yu Yang (2:07.05) did not compete in the event this year.

Event Results

Men's 100 breast
New Zealand's Glenn Snyders knocked more than a second off his national record in the event with a time of 58.67. The readout not only smashed the 59.82 he set last December in Auckland, but also gave him the top seed heading into semifinals.

Mike Alexandrov of Bulgaria finished just off his national record of 58.52 from last December with a 58.70 to take second in qualifying, while Mark Gangloff of the U.S. wound up third in 58.78.

Ryan Lochte, demonstrating his remarkable versatility as one of the best short course swimmers in the world, qualified fourth in an off event with a time of 58.98.

"I'm not really sure, I don't really do breaststroke, so I'm happy with the time and just happy to be racing," Lochte told meet organizers. "I'm a little tired, it's my first time doing 100m breaststroke in this kind of event. I mean, I don't really know what's good and what's not, especially in the 100m breaststroke. I just do what I do best and race."

South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh placed fifth in 59.26, while Great Britain's James Gibson took sixth in 59.29. Ukraine's Igor Borysik (59.30) and the Netherlands' Robin van Aggele (59.34) rounded out the top eight.

Defending champion Oleg Lisogor of Ukraine qualified pretty low, but still made it into semis with a ninth-place 59.47. Norway's Alexander Dale Oen (59.62), Slovenia's Damir Dugonjic (59.64), Russia's Sergey Geybel (59.65), Norway's Aleksander Hetland (59.89), Brazil's Felipe Silva (59.93), Spain's Borja Iradier (1:00.04) and the Netherlands' Thijs Van Valkengoed (1:00.06) joined him to complete the semifinalist field.

Event Results

Women's 100 back
Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry dipped under the 59-second mark for the first time when she snagged the top seed with a 58.41. That clocking cleared her previous national record of 59.23 from back in 2004.

New Zealand's Liz Coster placed second in 58.71, just off Hannah McLean's national record time of 58.60 from 2006, while Margaret Hoelzer of the U.S. finished third in 58.80.

"We swim in yards so I do find a 25m pool a little awkward, it's something I'm just not used to on a day-to-day basis," Hoelzer told meet organizers. "I would call that a good morning swim, the time was good and I will look forward to seeing what I can do later on today."

Israel's Anna Gostomelsky took fourth in 58.84, just missing her national record of 58.72 from last December, while Ukraine's Kate Zubkova placed fifth in 58.97.

Other top eight finishers included China's Gao Chang (59.00), Great Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds (59.01) and Australia's Belinda Hocking (59.34).

The rest of the semifinal round will be made up of New Zealand's Melissa Ingram (59.70), China's Li Jiaxing (59.75), Croatia's Sanja Jovanovic (59.92), Australia's Rachel Goh (59.96), Brazil's Fabiola Molina (59.99), Russia's Kseniya Moskvina (1:00.08), Emily Silver of the U.S. (1:00.15) and Hinkelien Schreuder of the Netherlands (1:00.22).

Defending champ Janine Pietsch of Germany and silver medalist Tayliah Zimmer of Australia did not compete this year, guaranteeing a new champion. China's Gao placed third two years ago with a 58.74.

Event Results

Men's 100 fly
New Zealand's Moss Burmester clipped .3 seconds from Corney Swanepoel's 2004 national record of 51.67 when he qualified first with a time of 51.37.

"That was a big pb (personal best) for me as well as a New Zeland record, so I am obviously happy with that," Burmester told meet organizers. "We had our Olympic Trials two weeks ago so I was fully tapered for that, and it has just been a case of keeping that taper going coming to Manchester. This year has been and will continue to be about long course, but there is a place for short course and I use the opportunity to my advantage in terms of fine tuning my starts and my turns."

Randall Tom of the U.S. took the second seed with a time of 51.45, while Russia's Nikolay Skvortsov and Spain's Rafael Munoz tied for third with matching 51.58s.

Nick Walkotten of the U.S. (51.62), Kenya's Jason Dunford (51.62), Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin (51.69) and Australia's Adam Pine (51.72) comprised the rest of the top eight.

Meanwhile, Slovenia's Peter Mankoc (51.77), Croatia's Mario Todorovic (51.84), Swanepoel (51.93), Venezuela's Albert Subirats (51.98), Great Britain's Matthew Bowe (52.06) and Michael Rock (52.22), the Netherlands' Joeri Verlinden (52.33) and Poland's Pawel Korzeniowski (52.62) will also compete in the semifinal round.

A new champion will also be crowned in this event as Brazil's Kaio Almeida did not compete. Subirats, the silver medalist, is still in the running to improve his standing, while Jayme Cramer, the bronze medalist, also did not compete.

Event Results

Women's 400 IM
A slew of national records fell in the preliminary heats of the women's 400 IM. Great Britain's Hannah Miley demolished her national record in the longer distance medley with a time of 4:29.83 to qualify first. That performance creamed Miley's 4:33.00 set last November.

"It was great to go that fast," Miley told meet organizers. "I had a tough week last week at the Olympic Trials, so to come here straight from Sheffield and swim that fast shows how versatile a swimmer I am becoming. It is a really positive start to the event for me and I'm looking forward to seeing how the week unfolds. I don't care about my time for the final, I just want to go out and race against these girls. I know I am swimming fast, which is great for the Olympics later in the year, but tonight I will just race hard and try and post another fast time."

Meanwhile, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe clocked another national record, this time with a 4:33.54. That put Coventry under 4:34 for the first time as her previous standard of 4:34.20 had stood since 2004. The time also gave Coventry the second seed.

Helen Norfolk of New Zealand also dropped her national record with a time of 4:34.05. She pipped her 4:34.09 set last December. She wound up with the third seed in finals.

Spain's Mireia Belmonte finished fourth in 4:34.53, while Julia Stupp of the U.S. took fifth in 4:36.62.

Jessica Pengelly of South Africa came within a whisker of Kathryn Meaklim's national record time of 4:36.62 set last October in Durban, but wound up taking sixth in 4:36.76.

Italy's Alessia Filippi (4:37.87) and Australia's Jennifer Reilly (4:37.97) claimed the final two transfer spots into the championship heat.

China's Qi Hui, the defending champ, did not compete this year. However, Filippi took the silver medal two years ago and has a chance to become Italy's first gold medalist in the event. Last meet's bronze medalist, Anastasia Ivanenko of Russia, did not compete.

Event Results

Men's 400 freestyle relay
Sweden's world record time of 3:09.57 will be under serious duress during finals as the Netherlands' foursome of Robert Lijesen, Bas Van Velthoven, Joost Reijns and Mitja Zastrow clocked a time of 3:10.69 during preliminary heats.

Don't count out the United States, however, as Bryan Lundquist, Nathan Adrian, Doug Van Wie and Ryan Lochte touched in 3:11.08, with Australia's Leith Brodie, Grant Brits, Nicholas Sprenger and Kenrick Monk close behind in third with a time of 3:11.94.

Other teams to qualify for finals were Great Britain (3:12.02), Russia (3:12.81), Sweden (3:13.70), Italy (3:14.77) and Brazil (3:15.26).

Event Results

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