Top Sprinters To Race For Cash At Singapore Swim Stars Showdown

Photo Credit: John David Mercer – USA Today Sports

PHOENIX, Arizona, September 4. TOMORROW, more than 50 of the top sprinters in the world will converge on the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore for the Singapore Swim Stars Showdown, a unique, one-day meet that should feature some thrilling races.

On Friday, eight of the fastest swimmers in the world will face off against one another in timed finals races of each of the 100m events. The 50m freestyle will also include semi-finals, followed by the two fastest swimmers racing head-to-head. The weekend will also include a synchronized swimming performance, as well as clinics put on by the swimmers, a relay swim-off and a community open water swim.

Swimmers won’t just be competing for bragging rights, as prize money will be on the table for the top four or five finishers, depending on the event. In the 50 and 100 free, the winners take home $10,000, followed by $5,000, $2,500 and $1,250 for second, third and fourth place, respectively. In all other events, the winner will receive $5,000, with second ($3,000), third ($1,500), fourth ($750) and fifth ($300) also garnering a chunk of cash. World record-breaking swims receive an additional $20,000.

The Lineup

Australia: Bronte Barratt, Brittany Elmslie, Emily Seebohm, Melanie Schlanger, Leiston Pickett, Lorna Tonks, Andrew Abood, Matthew Abood, Josh Beaver, Ashley Delaney

United States: Jessica Hardy, Madison Kennedy, Kim Vandenberg, Nathan Adrian, Anthony Ervin, David Plummer, Josh Schneider, Eugene Godsoe, Mike Alexandrov

Great Britain: Georgia Davies, Francesca Halsall, Lauren Quigley, Rachel Kelly, Liam Tancock, Benjamin Proud, Adam Peaty, Ross Murdoch, Marco Loughran

Singapore: Amanda Lim Xiang Qi, Chantal Liew Li-Shan, Roanne Ho, Hoong En Qi, Russel Ong, Malcom Low Wei Yang, Christopher Cheong Ee Hong

Denmark: Jeanette Ottesen, Pernille Blume, Rikke Moller Pedersen, Mie Nielsen

Japan: Kosuke Kitajima, Shinri Shioura, Yuki Shirai

South Africa: Roland Schoeman, Cameron Van Der Burgh

Bahamas: Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace

France: Fabien Gilot

Hungary: Katinka Hosszu

Italy: Fabio Scozzoli

Lithuania: Ruta Meilutyte

New Zealand: Glen Snyders

50m Freestyle

Photo Courtesy: Joao Marc Bosch

Photo Courtesy: Joao Marc Bosch

On the women’s side, Francesca Halsall enters the meet with the fastest seed time at 23.96, which she swam at the Commonwealth Games this summer. No one else in the field has been under 24, but Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (24.34) and Melanie Schlanger (24.39) will definitely challenge each other for a spot in the final head-to-head showdown. Madison Kennedy (24.78), Pernille Blume (25.03), Brittany Elmslie (25.04), Jessica Hardy (25.46), Ruta Meilutyte (25.59) and Amanda Lim Xiang Qi (25.74) will also compete.

Shinri Shioura leads the way in the men’s 50 free with a 21.51, followed closely by Anthony Ervin (21.55) and Nathan Adrian (21.68). Ervin actually has the fastest time of 2014, as Shioura’s season best is a 21.88 from April.  Benjamin Proud’s top time of 21.76, Matthew Abood’s 21.87 and Josh Schneider’s 21.88, should put them in the mix.

100m Freestyle

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Melanie Schlanger’s 53.65 from the Pan Pacific Championships stands as the fastest time in the field in the women’s 100 free. Pernille Blume sits second at 53.69, followed by Jeanette Ottesen (53.78) and Francesca Halsall (53.99). Brittany Elmslie (54.06), Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (54.37), Katinka Hosszu (54.45) and Bronte Barratt (54.75) will also race for cash in the two-length sprint.

The men’s 100 free should come down to the United States’ Nathan Adrian, the 2012 Olympic champion. Adrian swam a 48.05 just a few weeks back at the Pan Pacific Championships. Fabien Gilot (48.36), Shinri Shioura (48.69) and Anthony Ervin (48.71) will also be major contenders.

100m Backstroke

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

Australia’s Emily Seebohm should be the heavy favorite in the women’s 100 back after posting a 58.84 at the Pan Pacific Championships. Mie Nielsen’s 59.36 from the Eindhoven Cup stands second in the field, while Georgia Davies (59.58) and Katinka Hosszu (59.63) have also been under 1:00 this year.

Four men in the field have cleared 54 in the 100 back this year, led by the United States’ David Plummer at 53.12. Liam Tancock posted a 53.49 at the recent Commonwealth Games, while Ashley Delaney recorded a 53.67 at Australia’s national championships back in April. The race figures to come from those three swimmers, along with Josh Beaver, who’s fastest time of the year is just .01 slower than Delaney at 53.68.

100m Breaststroke

Photo Courtesy: Arena

Photo Courtesy: Arena

Olympic champion and world record-holder Ruta Meilutyte is the class of the field in the women’s 100 breast, and although she hasn’t approached her record of 1:04.35 this summer, she still holds the top time of the year at 1:05.21. Rikke Moller Pedersen (1:06.19) and Jessica Hardy (1:06.51) should have a great battle for second, as Hardy used to hold the world record in this event and Pedersen currently holds the world record in the 200 breast.

Japanese breaststroke legend Kosuke Kitajima will be in the men’s 100 breast field, but he’ll have a bit of a wall to climb to win this event. Great Britain’s Adam Peaty is coming off a great meet at the European Championships and will be the swimmer to beat with a 58.68. Olympic champion Cameron Van Der Burgh should never be counted out, as he enters the meet with the third-best time at 59.28. Great Britain’s Ross Murdoch (59.33) and New Zealand’s Glen Snyders (59.98) have also been under 1:00 this year.

100m Butterfly

Denmark Gold Medal 4x100 Medley Women NIELSEN Mie Oe., PEDERSEN Rikke Moeller, OTTESEN Jeanette, BLUME Pernille Swimming 32nd LEN European Championships Berlin, Germany 2014 Aug.13 th - Aug. 24 th Day12 - Aug. 24 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli Insidefoto

Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark has a nearly two-second cushion over the next fastest swimmer in the women’s 100 fly, as her 56.51 from the European Championships is well ahead of Francesca Halsall of Great Britain (58.21). It looks to be a battle for second in this event between Halsall, Rachel Kelly (58.40), Brittany Elmslie (58.87) and Katinka Hosszu (58.87). The start list for the men’s 100 fly is not currently available.

 

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