Emily Mason’s World Championships Diary

By Emily Mason

MONTREAL, Canada, July 25. FINALLY, we are off! Our first day went pretty well, we were strong in most events. The women’s 100 fly and 200 I.M. were great. Rachel Komisarz and Mary DeScenza are both in the big final tomorrow night in the fly and Katie Hoff and Whitney Myers made it in the 200 I.M.. I’m pretty sure we are going to see a new American Record from Katie Hoff.

On the men’s side, Brendan Hansen is in the big final for the 100 breast in a battle with Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima. Peter Vanderkaay finished sixth in the 400 free, but Michael Phelps failed to make it back finishing 18th overall. Ian Crocker will also swim again (tonight) night in the 50 fly final.

The big event of the night was a world record in the 50 fly by my teammate Roland Schoeman of South Africa. It was amazing, he was so far ahead, especially for a 50. He crushed the record too, the old one was a 23.30 and he went a 23.01. Plus he hasn’t even shaved yet. I can’t wait to see him swim (tonight).

The evening ended with our 400 free relays. The women finished third and my teammate Lacey Nymeyer from Arizona got her first international medal. The men won their relay without any competition. Canada was second and Australia third.

A member of the Tucson Ford Swim Club, Emily Mason is representing the United States in the 200-meter butterfly at the World Championships in Montreal. At the 2005 NCAA Championships, the University of Arizona swimmer won the 500-yard freestyle and placed second in the 200 fly and 400 individual medley. She’ll provide SwimmingWorldMagazine.com with regular diary entries through the conclusion of the World Champs.

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