World Champs July 24: Prelim Results

By Craig Lord
FUKUOKA, Japan. July 24. THERE were only two major casualty of the third morning of racing at the Messe Marine pool in Fukuoka: Therese Alshammar and Massimiliano Rosolino, neither because they failed to qualify.

Therese Alshammar, the Swede who finished second behind Inge de Bruijn over 50 and 100 meters freestyle in Sydney, failed to show on her blocks at the start of the 100 meters. The explanation from the Swedish camp was that Alshammar had suffered a recurrence of the urinary tract infection for which she was treated in hospital last month.

In the Swede's absence, the rest sailed through to the semi-finals, Xu Yanwei, of China, the fastest qualifier in 55.44sec, with Inge de Bruijn back in sixth at 55.65sec, a very modest effort compared to the 53.77sec world record she set on her way to gold in Sydney but quite snappy when compared with the 56.49sec she was capable of to finish eighth in the world final just three years ago. How time flies.

De Bruijn, somewhat tonge in cheek, one would hope, suggested that her aim in Japan was to improve on her previous World Championships performances. That should not to be too difficult for the Dutchwoman who compares her passage to glory as being none unlike the TGV, the French bullet speed train.

Rosollino, meanwhile, withdrew from the semi-final of the 200m freestyle after finishing fifth in the heats in a respectable 1:48.60. The explanation was that he had no chance of winning the 200m freestyle, the final of which will clashed tomorrow with the semi-final of the 200m medley, for which he Olympic champion.

Meanwhile, the race the Italian will now miss was shaping up to be the big clash it was expected to be: Pieter van den Hoogenband clocking 1:47.18sec, a championship record in the first heat, to Thorpe's
1:47.91sec. History will not quite repeat itself however because Emiliano Brembilla, of Italy, clocked 1:47.91sec, ensuring that the two men battling for the gold medal will clash not only in the final but the semi-final tonight too.

Kristy Kowal, of the US, cruised to a 2mins 27.40sec fastest qualification time in the 200m breaststroke, with Olympic champion Agnes Kovacs, of Hungary, in fourth on 2:29.04 but Qi Hui, the world record holder back in 11th on 2:31.01. Megan Quann, of the US, just made it through with a 2:31.38sec effort for 16th.

Her teammate Randall Bal was fastest through the heats of the 50m backstroke, in 25.43sec, while Welsh, Rupprath, Walker and Siembida all made it through. Not so Rudolfo Falcon, of Cuba, however: he was 20th in
26.44sec.

THE following are the results of this morning's heats at the FINA World Championships in Fukuoka.

Men's 200 meter Freestyle
(Fastest 16 qualifiers for Tuesday night's semifinals)

1. Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED) 1:47.18
2. Emiliano Brembilla (ITA) 1:47.91
3. Ian Thorpe (AUS) 1:47.95
4. Bill Kirby (AUS) 1:48.57
5. Massimiliano Rosolino (ITA) 1:48.60
6. Scott Goldblatt (USA) 1:48.65
7. Klete Keller (USA) 1:49.14
8. Mark Johnston (CAN) 1:49.38
9. Paul Palmer (GBR) 1:49.46
10. Stefan Herbst (GER) 1:49.72
11. Jose Meloans (ARG) 1:49.86
12. Athanasios Oikonomou (GRE) 1:49.90
13. Kvetoslav Svoboda (CZE) 1:50.02
14. Richard Say (CAN) 1:50.08
15. Stefan Pohl (GER) 1:50.11
16. Jacob Carstensen (DEN) 1:50.16

Men's 50 meter Backstroke
(Fastest 16 qualifiers for Tuesday night's semifinals)

1. Randall Ball (USA) 25.43
2. Riley Janes (CAN) 25.90
3. Matt Welsh (AUS) 25.91
4. Thomas Rupprath (GER) 25.92
5. Mariusz Siembida (POL) 25.93
6. Darius Grigalionis (LTU) 25.97
7. Tomomi Morita (JPN) 26.05
8. Vyacheslav Shyrshov (UKR) 26.08
9. Peter Hovarth (HUN) 26.14
10. Neil Walker (USA) 26.17
11. Stev Theloke (GER) 26.22
11. Alexandre Massura Neto (BRA) 26.22
13. Pablo Abal (ARG) 26.23
14. Daniel Lonnberg (SWE) 26.27
15. Josh Watson (AUS) 26.33
15. Neil Willey (GBR) 26.33

Women's 100 meter Freestyle
(Fastest 16 qualifiers for Tuesday night's semifinals)

1. Xu Yanwei (CHN) 55.44
1. Johanna Sjoberg (SWE) 55.44
3. Katrin Meissner (GER) 55.51
4. Sarah Ryan (AUS) 55.55
5. Elena Poptchenko (BLR) 55.63
6. Inge de Bruijn (NED) 55.65
7. Martina Moravcova (SVK) 55.72
8. Cecilia Vianini (ITA) 55.80
9. Sandra Voelker (GER) 55.89
10. Mette Jacobsen (DEN) 56.03
11. Sumika Minamoto (JPN) 56.08
12. Maritza Correia (USA) 56.13
13. Laura Nicholls (CAN) 56.17
14. Otylia Yerdrzejczak (POL) 56.24
15. Luisa Striani (ITA) 56.36
16. Colleen Lanne (USA) 56.38

Women's 200 meter Breaststroke
Fastest 16 qualifiers for Tuesday night's semifinals)

1. Kristy Kowal (USA) 2:27.40
2. Mirna Jukic (AUT) 2:28.53
3. Yuko Sakaguchi (JPN) 2:28.85
4. Agnes Kovacs (HUN) 2:29.04
5. Olga Bakaldina (RUS) 2:29.72
6. Sarah Poewe (RSA) 2:29.85
7. Leisel Jones (AUS) 2:30.26
8. Elvira Fischer (AUT) 2:30.31
9. Simone Weiler (GER) 2:30.35
10. Baetrice Caslaru (ROM) 2:30.48
11. Qi Hui (CHN) 2:31.01
11. Christin Petelski (CAN) 2:31.01
13. Luo Xuejuan (CHN) 2:31.14
14. Jaime King (GBR) 2:31.14
15. Brooke Hanson (AUS) 2:31.25
16. Megan Quann (USA) 2:31.38

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