Day 3 Prelims of Short Course Worlds: Hackett Leads Qualifiers in 400 Free, Most Americans Advance

MOSCOW, April 5. AILING Australian Grant Hackett, still recovering from a nasty virus that knocked him out of the 200m free on Wednesday, led all qualifiers in the 400 free this morning. Hackett's 4:43.96 was almost nine seconds slower than his world record in this event, 3:35.01 set at the 1999 Short Course Worlds in Hong Kong. Still, the Aussie should be considered the decided favorite.

Most American swimmers — with one notable exception — all advanced to the semifinals or finals of their events. The exception was Tom Wilkens, winner of the 400 IM last night, who finished ninth in the semis of the 200 IM, missing the final by one-hundredth of a second.

Another of yesterday's winners, Ukraine's Oleg Lisogor, who took the 100m breaststroke, also finished ninth in the semifinals of the 200, though he missed qualifying for tonight's final by half a second.

In the men's 400m free, the USA's Chad Carvin (3:45.89) and Klete Keller (3:46.09) qualified comfortably in fourth and sixth, respectively.

Dave Denniston posted a 2:09.43 to qualify third in the 200m breast, with Australia's Jim Piper leading the way at 2:08.49. Two weeks ago, Piper swam a Commonwealth record 2:10.80 long course, so he probably can improve significantly on his 2:08. Look for Denniston to challenge for the gold.

World record-holder Jani Sievinen, Finland, had the fastest 200 IM in the semifinals at 1:57.25, but he faces a stiff challenge from Olympic gold medalist Massi Rosolino, of Italy, fourth fastest at 1:57.52. This is anyone's race, as less than a second separates all eight finalists.

Aussies qualified one-two in the 50m fly prelims, with WR-holder Geoff Huegill going 23.40 and Adam Pine clocking 23.49. Olympic 100 fly champion Lars Frolander was sixth (23.97) and Britain's James Hickman — former WR-holder in the 200 fly was 14th. The other Brit, former 50 fly WR-holder Mark Foster, just squeaked into 16th place (24.25), making it into the semis by one-hundredth of a second. Only one-hundredth ahead of him, in 15th, was the USA's Andrew
Haidinyak.

Canada's Riley Janes led all prelim swimmers in the 50m back at 24.23. Australia's Matt Welsh was third
(24.38), with the USA's Peter Marshall (24.60) and Aaron Peirsol (24.70) fifth and sixth.

On the women's side, China's Chen Hua, winner of the 800 meters, led all qualifiers in the 400 in 4:06.42. 2001 long course world champion Yana Klochkova, Ukraine, was second (4:06.73), with the USA's fast-improving Rachel Komisarz third (4:07.37) and Kalyn Keller, Klete's kid sister, sixth (4:09.08). The battle should boil down to Chen versus Klochkova. Give the Ukrainian the edge on experience.

Lindsay Benko, who has the world's fastest time this year in this event and second-fastest all-time, is not swimming the race.

But shed no tears for Lindsay. She placed first in the semis of the 200m back in 2:06.55 — almost two seconds ahead of the field. Based on her recent performances, she should be able to drop another two seconds in tonight's final, which should easily ensure another gold medal. The rest of the filed will scramble for silver.

Sweden had the fastest 4×100 medley relay time in thi morning's prelims, 4:00.40, with the USA a close ssecond at 4:00.66. China, which qualified fourth in 4:04.62, figures to battle the two top qualifiers for the gold.

Sweden's Emma Igelstrom, who st a world mark in the 50m breast yesterady at 29.96, led all qualifiers in the prelims of the 100, cruising to a time of 1:06.82. China's Luo xuejuan, the long course world champ, was a second back (1:07.87), just ahead of the USA's Amanda Beard (1:07.89). Auustralia's Brooke Hanson, at 1:07.99, was the only other swimmer to dip below 1:08. Staciana Stitts qualified seventh for the USA in 1:08.86.

–Phil Whitten

RESULTS

Men's 400 meter freestyle (top eight qualify for final)
1. Grant Hackett (AUS) 3:43.96
2. Kvetoslav Svoboda (CZE) 3:45.31
3. Massimiliano Rosolino (ITA) 3:45.38
4. Chad Carvin (USA) 3:45.89
5. Mark Johnston (CAN) 3:46.08
6. Klete Keller (USA) 3:46.09
7. Jacob Carstensen (DEN) 3:46.17
8. Dzmitri Koptur (BLR) 3:46.32

Men's 200 meter individual medley (top eight qualify for final)
1. Jani Sievinen (FIN) 1:57.25
2. Peter Mankoc (CZE) 1:57.31
3. Takahiro Mori (JPN) 1:57.43
4. Massimiliano Rosolino (ITA) 1:57.52
5. Brian Johns (CAN) 1:57.53
6. Theo Verster (RSA) 1:57.81
7. George Bovell (TRI) 1:58.20
8. Dean Kent (NZL) 1:58.22

Women's 400 meter freestyle (top eight qualify for final)
1. Chen Hua (CHN) 4:06.42
2. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 4:06.73
3. Rachel Komisarz (USA) 4:07.37
4. Polina Shopnikova (RUS) 4:08.62
5. Amanda Pascoe (AUS) 4:08.96
6. Kalyn Keller (USA) 4:09.08
7. Nicole Zahnd (SUI) 4:09.43
8. Sophie Simard (CAN) 4:10.51

Men's 200 meter breaststroke (top eight qualify for g final)
1. Jim Piper (AUS) 2:08.49
2. Dmitry Komornikov (RUS) 2:09.26
3. David Denniston (USA) 2:09.43
4. Maxim Podoprigora (AUT) 2:09.51
5. Jarno Pihlava (FIN) 2:09.57
6. Jose Couto (POR) 2:09.59
7. Kosuke Kitajima (JPN) 2:09.61
8. Martin Gustafsson (SWE) 2:10.06

Women's 4×100 meter medley relay (top eight qualify for final)
1. Sweden 4:00.40
2. United States 4:00.66
3. South Africa 4:03.54
4. China 4:04.62
5. Australia 4:05.14
6. Denmark 4:05.25
7. Russia 4:05.84
8. Ukraine 4:06.54

Men's 50 meter butterfly (top 16 qualify for semis)
1. Geoff Huegill (AUS) 23.40
2. Adam Pine (AUS) 23.49
3. Milos Milosevic (CRO) 23.88
4. Igor Marchenko (RUS) 23.89
5. Indrek Sei (EST) 23.92
6. Lars Frolander (SWE) 23.97
7. Ricardo Coxo (POR) 24.01
8. Pavel Lagoun (BLR) 24.06
9. Pablo Abal (ARG) 24.08
10. Nicholas Santos (BRA) 24.18
10. Mike Mintenko (CAN) 24.18
12. Apostolos Tsagkarakis (GRE) 24.19
13. Andriy Serdinov (UKR) 24.20
14. James Hickman (GBR) 24.23
15. Andrew Haidinyak (USA) 24.24
16. Mark Foster (GBR) 24.25

Women's 100 meter breaststroke (top 16 qualify for semis)
1. Emma Igelstrom (SWE) 1:06.82
2. Luo Xuejuan (CHN) 1:07.87
3. Amanda Beard (USA) 1:07.89
4. Brooke Hanson (AUS) 1:07.99
5. Mirna Jukic (AUT) 1:08.41
6. Sarah Poewe (RSA) 1:08.49
7. Staciana Stitts (USA) 1:08.86
8. Anne-Sophie Le Paranthoen (FRA) 1:08.89
9. Qi Hui (CHN) 1:08.90
10. Zoe Baker (GBR) 1:08.95
11. Yelena Bogomazova (RUS) 1:09.00
12. Majken Thorup (DEN) 1:09.14
13. Brigitte Becue (BEL) 1:09.35
14. Agnieszka Braszkiewicz (POL) 1:09.55
15. Natalia Hissamutdinova (EST) 1:09.73
16. Tamara Sambrailo (SLO) 1:09.80

Men's 50 meter backstroke (top 16 qualify for semis)
1. Riley Janes (CAN) 24.23
2. Toni Helbig (GER) 24.25
3. Matt Welsh (AUS) 24.38
4. Darius Grigalionis (LTU) 24.48
5. Peter Marshall (USA) 24.60
6. Aaron Peirsol (USA) 24.70
7. Ante Maskovic (CRO) 24.74
8. Jakob Andersen (DEN) 24.90
8. Nuno Laurentino (POR) 24.90
10. Vyacheslav Shyrshov (UKR) 24.91
11. Sergei Ostapchuk (RUS) 24.98
12. Pablo Abal (ARG) 24.99
13. Beau Mannix (AUS) 25.01
14. Bklaz Medvesek (SLO) 25.03
15. Miroslav Machovic (SVK) 25.18
16. Derya Buyukuncu (TUR) 25.24

Women's 200 meter backstroke (top eight qualify for final)
1. Lindsay Benko (USA) 2:06.55
2. Clementine Stoney (AUS) 2:08.35
3. Reiko Nakamura (JPN) 2:08.51
4. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 2:08.79
5. Irina Amshennikova (UKR) 2:08.87
6. Hanae Ito (JPN) 2:09.13
7. Stanislava Komarova (RUS) 2:09.53
8. Anna Gostomelsky (ISR) 2:10.25

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