Sette Colli Trophy: Three Meet Records Broken on First Day

ROME, Italy, June 17. THE first day of long course competition is complete at the Sette Colli Trophy meet, where potential contenders for world championship medals are racing.

Australia's Sophie Edington started off today's finals with a meet record in the women's 50 backstroke. Her time of 28.15 erased the meet record of 28.31 by fellow Aussie Emily Seebohm from 2008 and puts her in a tie for seventh place in the world rankings with Australia's Grace Loh. Placing second in the race was Arianna Barbieri of Italy with a 28.63, and finishing third was Greece's Theodora Drakou with a 28.86.

Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer triumphed over a competitive field in the men's 50 backstroke final, winning with a 25.26 that is a little slower than his 12th-ranked time of 25.24 from April. Gerhard Zandberg of South Africa placed second with a 25.28, well off the 24.90 he swam in April to put him fourth in the world. Reigning world champion Liam Tancock of Great Britain finished third with a 25.36, off his fifth-ranked time of 24.95.

World record holder and reigning world champion Federica Pellegrini of Italy posted a 4:04.67 to win the women's 400 freestyle, which is close to her 4:03.49 posted in April as the second-fastest time in the world. Denmark's Lotte Friis was second in 4:07.42, moving her to 15th in the world rankings. Joanne Jackson of Great Britain almost caught Friis in the final 100 meters, placing third in 4:07.88. Jackson's time moves her up from 21st in the world to 18th.

Italy's Cesare Sciocchetti won a close race in the men's 400 freestyle in 3:51.09. David Verraszto of Hungary was second with a 3:51.49 and in third was Italy's Samuel Pizzetti with a 3:51.56.

Rikke Moller Pedersen of Denmark won the women's 100 breast in a close battle with Germany's Sarah Poewe. Pedersen's winning time was 1:0832 to Poewe's 1:08.76. In third was Morocco's Sara El Berki with a 1:09.37.

Fabio Scozzoli of Italy took the men's 100 breast in 1:00.96 over South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh, who placed second in 1:01.12. Lithuania's Giedrus Titenis was third in 1:01.57.

Two days after posting the fastest 100 freestyle in the world at the British nationals, Fran Halsall put up a quick 100 butterfly today in Rome with a 57.48 that erased the meet record of 58.28 by Jemma Lowe. The time is just off her fifth-ranked time of 57.44 that she posted earlier this week at the British nationals. Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark placed second with a 58.29, while Elena Di Liddo was third in 59.43.

Milorad Cavic of Serbia won the men's 100 fly in 52.40, a little slower than his fifth-ranked time of 52.10 from April. Poland's Konrad Czerniak placed second in 52.86, while Kenya's Jason Dunford was third with a 52.94.

Friis returned to the pool to win the women's 1500 freestyle in 16:09.48, setting a meet record in the event's first outing at Sette Colli. Placing second was Ireland's Grainne Murphy with a 16:23.03, while Greece's Marianna Lymperta was third with a 16:25.22.

The men's 50 freestyle was won by South Africa's Roland Schoeman in 22.31, with Italy's Marco Orsi placing second in 22.36, just off the 22.26 he posted in April. Third place went to Luca Dotto of Italy with a 22.47.

Therese Alshammar of Sweden won the women's 50 freestyle with a 24.63, not too far off her second-ranked time of 24.47 from last week at the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum tour. The Netherlands went 2-3 in the event, with Ranomi Kromowidjojo second in 24.65 and Marleen Veldhuis third in 24.81. Notably, Dara Torres finished seventh in the race with a 25.18, which places her 22nd in the world rankings.

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