World Championships: Easy Time for Leisel Jones in 200 Breaststroke Semifinals

By John Lohn

MELBOURNE, Australia, March 29. PUSHING her world-record pace at the 150-meter checkpoint, Leisel Jones put her motor into cruise control down the last lap, but still managed to easily produce the top swim in the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke. Jones, whose world mark sits at 2:20.54, turned in a time of 2:23.75, good for nearly a two-second cushion going into the championship race.

Already the winner of the 100 breaststroke, Jones must completely fall apart and have an opponent deliver the race of her life to miss out on a second consecutive title. She was followed in the second position by Great Britain's Kirsty Balfour, who touched the wall in 2:25.45. Balfour, though, admitted prior to the meet that the 200 breast field was racing for silver behind Jones.

"It was pretty controlled, I didn't have any plans," Jones said of her approach. "I wanted to go for 2:24.00 and I pushed myself, but I went a little slow around the 100 mark."

The third-fastest qualifying time was registered by South Africa's Suzaan Van Biljon in 2:25.56 and American Megan Jendrick was fourth in 2:26.14. The Olympic champ in the 100 breast in Sydney, Jendrick had an extra gear at the end of her semifinal swim and is likely to go quicker tomorrow in pursuit of a place on the medals stand.

The rest of the field for the championship heat will include China's Luo Nan (2:27.03), Sweden's Sandra Jacobson (2:27.24), American Tara Kirk (2:27.41) and Germany's Birte Steven (2:27.62). Kirk was the silver medalist in the 100 breaststroke earlier in the week.

Click Here to view event results PDF file.

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