2007 World Swimming Cup, Durban: Gerhard Zandberg Hauls in Prize Money with Five Medals

DURBAN, South Africa, October 19. THE FINA World Cup series kicked off today with the initial sessions of short course swimming at the Durban, South Africa stage of the event.

Women's 800 freestyle
South Africa easily dominated the women's distance event as no one from another country swam in the 800 free. Kathryn Meaklim and Melissa Corfe put on a show for the partisan crowd with a head-to-head battle. Meaklim emerged with the win in 8:29.23, while Corfe claimed second just behind in 8:29.31.

Corfe took the race out hard, as she lead through the initial 350 meters, 3:39.02 to 3:39.80. Meaklim, however, kept close enough to make her move at the halfway mark, 4:11.63 to 4:11.75, and never trailed the rest of the way.

Karlien van Heerden closed out the top three in 8:51.04.

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Men's 100 freestyle
South Africa's Roland Schoeman, in Durban after working out some issues with Swimming South Africa, posted the quickest time of the year in the event with a time of 47.40. Australia's Eamon Sullivan had held the previous best with a 47.45 at the Australian Grand Prix in July.

South Africa's Gerhard Zandberg provided Schoeman's nearest threat with a silver-medal 47.81. Schoeman owned the race from the get-go with a 22.39 split, while Zandberg turned close behind in 22.70.

Australia's Kyle Richardson wound up in third in 48.73.

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Women's 200 freestyle
Sweden ruled the day in the women's 200 free with a medal sweep. Josefin Lillhage clocked the second-quickest time in the world this year with a 1:55.40. Only Australia's Kylie Palmer, with a 1:55.11 at her nation's short course championships in August, had a faster clocking.

Petra Granlund touched second in 1:56.32, while Ida Marko-Varga finished third in 1:58.10.

Lillhage pushed the pace immediately, taking a .6 second lead at the 50-meter mark, 27.18 to 27.78, over Granlund. Fourth-place finisher Aurore Mongel of France kept close through that first 50 with a 27.58, but could not keep up the pace.

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Men's 50 breaststroke
In another all South Africa final, Gerhard Zandberg turned his 100 free silver into gold with a time of 27.53. That readout was not his best this year, as he has a 27.34 on record from the South African Short Course Championships in October.

Donavan van der Merwe finished second in 27.75, while Schoeman claimed his second medal of the day with a 27.99.

South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh initially looked to have won the event, but was disqualified due to a one hand touch.

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Women's 100 breaststroke
South Africa's Suzaan van Biljon improved upon her previous quickest time of the year of 1:08.53 at South Africa's short course championships with a winning effort of 1:06.67. She took the race out in 31.82, and brought it home in 34.85.

Germany's Sarah Poewe had a battle on her hands for second place as Sweden's Joline Hostman led briefly at the 50-meter mark, 32.27 to 32.28. Poewe, however, had more in the tank as she won 1:08.39 to 1:08.80 at the final touch.

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Men's 400 IM
South Africa's Riaan Schoeman posted one of the top five times this year with a commanding readout of 4:13.62. Schoeman finished the butterfly leg in 59.71, flipped after the backstroke leg in 2:02.70, then headed into the freestyle at 3:13.98.

France's Fabien Horth snared silver in 4:17.71, while South Africa's Jay-Cee Thomson closed out the top three in 4:22.34.

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Women's 100 butterfly
The United States' Natalie Coughlin put together a swift time of 56.60 to easily win the women's 100 fly. Her effort far surpassed the previous top time this year of 57.45 set by Australia's Felicity Galvez at the Australian Short Course Championships in August.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Lize-Marie Retief finished second in 57.30, while compatriot Mandy Loots placed third in 57.86.

Coughlin took the race out in 26.28, which is a top five time in the world this year, then came back in 30.32 to put away the gold.

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Men's 100 backstroke
Building off teammate Natalie Coughlin's win in the 100 fly, Randall Bal scored a gold medal of his own with a time of 51.13 in the men's 100 back. He scorched the competition, going out in 24.85, and bringing it home in 26.28. The overall time of 51.13 stands behind Australia's Matt Welsh (50.71) for the quickest time this year.

South Africa's Gerhard Zandberg completed a medal trifecta with a silver-winning readout of 53.25, while Russian Arkady Vyatchanin placed third in 53.45.

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Women's 50 backstroke
Germany's Antje Buschschulte tore through the field in a time of 27.53, which is the third-fastest time in the event this year. Only Tay Zimmer (27.44) and Rachel Goh (27.45) went faster this year, while at the Australian Short Course Championships in August.

Zimmer, however, settled for silver at the World Cup with a time of 27.82, while teammate Sophie Edington claimed bronze in 27.90.

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Men's 200 butterfly
South Africa's Sebastien Rousseau crushed the field with a 1:57.48. He initially had to deal with teammate George du Rand as the pair traded the lead throughout the first 150 meters. Rousseau, however, dropped a 30.17 in the final 50 compared to du Rand's 32.46 to pull away.

du Rand wound up falling to third with a time of 2:00.41, while France's Romain Sassot jumped into second with a time of 2:00.19.

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Women's 200 IM
South Africa swept the top three. Mandy Loots ripped off a time of 2:10.97 to easily win the event. The time puts her in the top three in the world this year behind Australians Shayne Reese (2:09.85) and Stephanie Rice (2:10.42).

Loots led the entire way with splits of 28.39, 1:01.21 and 1:39.11.

Suzaan van Biljon emerged from a toe-to-toe contest with teammate Jessica Pengelly, 2:12.21 to 2:12.42.

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Men's 400 freestyle
Germany's Christain Kubusch put together a strong swim with a time of 3:44.53. He opened up the first 100 in 54.35, flipped at the halfway mark in 1:51.11, and touched in 2:48.48 in the 300.

France's Amaury Leveaux captured silver in 3:46.33, while South Africa's Wesley Gilchrist placed third in 3:51.82.

Leveaux actually led most of the way with a time of 3:16.11 at the 350-meter mark, but forgot where he was in the race and stopped swimming at the 350. After realizing his mistake, he turned on the jets to remain in second.

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Women's 50 freestyle
Sweden's Therese Alshammar came through with the second-swiftest time of the year thus far when she sprinted to a win in 24.17. Libby Lenton holds the best time this year with a 23.77 at the Australian Short Course Championships in August.

Meanwhile, Sweden swept the splash-and-dash medals as Anna-Karin Kammerling touched second in 24.85 and Josefin Lillhage took third in 25.07.

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Men's 200 breaststroke
After being disqualified in the 50 breast, South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh earned some retribution as he surfaced from a dogfight with compatriot Byron Fergusson with the gold medal.

van der Burgh clocked a time of 2:11.37, while Fergusson touched in 2:11.64. van der Burgh went out quick in 1:02.24 against Fergusson's 1:02.69, then turned at the 150 with a .04 second lead of 1:36.68 to 1:36.72 before pulling away down the stretch with a 34.69 split.

Meanwhile, France's Julian Nicolardot grabbed bronze in 2:12.32.

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Men's 100 IM
South Africa's Gerhard Zandberg continued to pile up the cash with another gold medal. He stopped the clock in 53.93 to win the short-distance IM.

Russia's Sergey Fesikov took second in 55.43, while Australia's Kyle Richardson placed third in 55.67.

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Women's 200 backstroke
Germany's Antje Buschschulte added the 200 distance backstroke gold to her 50 back win from earlier in the session. Buschschulte clocked a time of 2:08.31 with splits of 30.48, 1:03.34, 1:36.29 to win the 200 back.

Meanwhile, Australia went 2-3 in the event as Sophie Edington and Tay Zimmer finished second and third, respectively. Edington barely squeaked out the second-place finish by .04 seconds as she touched in 2:09.72. Zimmer placed right behind in 2:09.76.

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Men's 50 butterfly
South Africa's Roland Schoeman closed out the meet like he started it, with a gold medal. He clocked a readout of 23.45, behind only Australia's Matt Welsh (23.26) for the fastest time of the year.

France's Amaury Leveaux grabbed silver in 24.30, while Zandberg snared his fifth medal of the day, this time bronze, with a 24.34.

Click here to view event results PDF file.

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