World Cup Day 3: Neethling and Lenton End with Five Wins Each, China’s Gao Clocks 27.22 for 50 Backstroke

By Stephen J. Thomas

MELBOURNE, Australia. November 28. OLYMPIC gold medalist Ryk Neethling finished the three-day FINA World Cup 2 meet in Melbourne in fine style with an impressive win in the 50m freestyle, clocking a PR 21.68 to edge out American sprint stars Jason Lezak (21.72) and Nick Brunelli (21.90). Aussie record-holder Brett Hawke was fourth in 22.02 ahead of another American, Randall Bal (22.13).

The 27-year-old Neethling, who will move his base to South Africa in the near future after seven years in the USA, missed a perfect score of six wins when he suffered his only defeat, finishing fourth in the 100m fly.

Libby Lenton took her an impressive fifth event out of five at this meet when she used her speed off the walls to dominate the 200m freestyle from start to finish. Lenton touched just outsides her PR in 1:56.98, beating fellow Olympian Shayne Reese (1:57.69) and another Aussie, Kelly Stubbins (1:58.73).

Chinese teen Gao Chang had an impressive win in the 50m backstroke, touching first in 27.22 – sixth fastest all-time performance – over Tayliah Zimmer, who set a new Aussie record 27.53 (ninth all-time performer) and Olympian Giaan Rooney (27.88). Gao was just 0.03 outside her PR set in Berlin in January this year.

Local boy Matt Welsh brought the crowd to their feet with an all-the-way win in the 100m backstroke, touching in 51.38 to beat his friendly American rivals Randall Bal (51.75) and Aaron Peirsol (52.61).

Popular British swimmer James Hickman, very near the end of his competitive career, splashed a classy win in the 100m butterfly, powering home over the field to touch in 50.56 from 200m winner Russian Nikolai Skvortsov (51.64) and New Zealander Corney Swanepoel (51.67).

New Zealanders Dean Kent and Helen Norfolk completed their respective men’s and women’s medley doubles tonight. Kent had an easy win in the 400m IM, clocking 4:10.03 to beat Aussie Olympians Travis Nederpelt (4:13.18) and Adam Lucas (4:13.73). American visitor Robert Margalis finished fourth (4:14.13). Norfolk (2:13.25) had a tougher race in the women’s 200m IM, holding off Singapore’s Joscelin Yeo (2:13.62) in the final leg with Aussie Kirsty Morrison taking the third spot in 2:14.62.

Aussies dominated the 200m breaststroke podium with Brenton Rickard producing another good performance to win in 2:07.11 – and take the breaststroke treble – edging out national record-holder Jim Piper (2:07.25) with a powerful finish. Mark Riley took third place in 2:11.71.

Aussie Olympic 100m finalist Jessicah Schipper swam a PR 2:07.45 to win the 200m fly from American Demerae Christianson (PR 2:08.05) and South African Amanda Loots (2:08.50).

Aussie world record-holder Jade Edmistone had a convincing win in the 50m breaststroke, clocking 30.46 to beat 100-200 winner Leisel Jones (30.75) and Olympic teammate Sarah Katsoulis (31.32).

Russian distance star Yuri Prilukov was untroubled winning the 1500m freestyle in 14:39.67 from Korean Park Tae Hwan (14:48.46) and Aussie Travis Nederpelt (14:57.83). Prilukov repeated the 400-1500 double he completed in Durban last weekend.

Top FINA points for the meet were as follows:
Men
1017, Ryk Neethling (RSA), 100m Individual Medley
991, Aaron Peirsol (USA), 200m Backstroke
990, Ryk Neethling (RSA), 100m Freestyle
986, Matt Welsh (AUS), 100m Backstroke
985, Ryk Neethling (RSA), 200m Freestyle
984, Matt Welsh (AUS), 50m Backstroke
980, Brenton Rickard (AUS), 200m Breaststroke
976, Jim Piper (AUS), 200m Breaststroke
975, Yuri Prilukov (RUS), 1500m Freestyle
Women:
1027, Leisel Jones (AUS), 200m Breaststroke
1025, Leisel Jones (AUS), 100m Breaststroke
1002, Chang Gao (CHN), 50m Backstroke
985, Stephanie Williams, 800m Freestyle
981, Jade Edmiston (AUS), 50m Breaststroke
974, Alice Mills (AUS), 100m Individual Medley
970, Jade Edmiston (AUS), 50m Breaststroke
969, Tayliah Zimmer (AUS), 50m Backstroke
963, Lisbeth Lenton (AUS), 100m Butterfly

FINA World Cup 2
Melbourne Aquatic Centre
Melbourne, Australia

November 26-28, 2004

25 meter pool

RESULTS
DAY THREE

Women's 200m Butterfly, Finals
1. SCHIPPER Jessicah 1986 AUS 2:07.45 956
2. CHRISTIANSON Demerae 1981 USA 2:08.05 943
3. LOOTS Amanda 1978 RSA 2:08.50 933
4. WONKA Astrid 1987 AUS 2:11.01 881
5. LIU Jing 1990 CHN 2:11.16 878
6. CORKRAN Kate 1983 AUS 2:12.11 859
7. SMITH Amy 1990 AUS 2:12.54 850
8. VAN WELIE Liz 1979 NZL 2:17.35 764

Men's 100m Butterfly, Finals
1. HICKMAN James 1976 GBR 51.56 942
2. SKVORTSOV Nikolay 1984 RUS 51.64 937
3. SWANEPOEL Corney 1986 NZL 51.67 936
4. NEETHLING Ryk 1977 RSA 51.84 927
5. RICHARDS Andrew 1983 AUS 52.63 886
6. LAUTERSTEIN Andrew 1987 AUS 52.68 883
7. PINE Adam 1976 AUS 53.16 859
8. DODD Tim 1983 AUS 53.57 840

Women's 50m Breaststroke, Finals
1. EDMISTONE Jade 1982 AUS 30.46 981
2. JONES Leisel 1985 AUS 30.75 954
3. KATSOULIS Sarah 1984 AUS 31.32 903
4. MORRISON Kristy 1985 AUS 31.50 887
5. MILLS Alice 1986 AUS 31.69 872
6. WAITZER Natasha 1987 AUS 32.08 840
7. WHITE Tarnee 1981 AUS 32.19 832
8. MILTON Sarah 1983 AUS 32.67 795

Men's 200m Breaststroke, Finals
1. RICKARD Brenton 1983 AUS 2:07.11 980
2. PIPER Jim 1981 AUS 2:07.25 976
3. RILEY Mark 1982 AUS 2:11.71 881
4. VERSFELD Neil 1985 RSA 2:11.91 877
5. MCDONALD Robert 1981 AUS 2:12.88 857
6. BEASLEY James 1982 AUS 2:13.38 848
7. COMERFORD Rory 1985 AUS 2:13.95 837
8. O'REGAN Kieran 1985 AUS 2:14.98 818

Women's 200m Freestyle, Finals
1. LENTON Lisbeth 1985 AUS 1:56.98 951
2. REESE Shayne 1982 AUS 1:57.69 933
3. STUBBINS Kelly 1984 AUS 1:58.73 909
4. PATON Sarah 1986 AUS 1:59.08 901
5. FITCH Alison 1980 NZL 1:59.33 896
6. HOUGHTON Melanie 1985 AUS 1:59.65 888
7. DAVENPORT Lara 1983 AUS 1:59.84 884
8. COUDERC Celine 1983 FRA 2:02.96 819

Men's 50m Freestyle, Finals
1. NEETHLING Ryk 1977 RSA 21.68 946
2. LEZAK Jason 1975 USA 21.72 940
3. BRUNELLI Nick 1981 USA 21.90 917
4. HAWKE Brett 1975 AUS 22.02 903
5. BAL Randall 1980 USA 22.13 889
6. TAYLOR Joshua 1983 AUS 22.37 861
7. SULLIVAN Eamon 1985 AUS 22.54 841
8. ENGLISH Jeff 1978 AUS 22.57 838

Women's 200m Individual Medley, Finals
1. NORFOLK Helen 1981 NZL 2:13.25 903
2. YEO Joscelin 1979 SIN 2:13.62 896
3. MORRISON Kristy 1985 AUS 2:14.62 876
4. COUTTS Alicia 1987 AUS 2:14.67 875
5. RICE Stephanie 1988 AUS 2:15.97 850
6. LIU Zhen 1988 CHN 2:16.84 834
7. VABRE Cylia 1984 FRA 2:17.33 825
8. SPROAL Penny 1988 AUS 2:17.70 818

Men's 400m Individual Medley, Timed Final
1. KENT Dean 1978 NZL 4:10.03 938
2. NEDERPELT Travis 1985 AUS 4:13.18 904
3. LUCAS Adam 1983 AUS 4:13.73 898
4. MARGALIS Robert 1982 USA 4:14.13 894
5. BAILEY Alex 1987 AUS 4:22.19 814
6. BROWNE David 1987 AUS 4:22.92 807
7. HOLDING Aaron 1985 AUS 4:28.11 761
8. ROPER Pierre 1986 AUS 4:29.38 750

Women's 50m Backstroke, Finals
1. GAO Chang 1987 CHN 27.22 1002
2. ZIMMER Tayliah 1985 AUS 27.53 969
3. ROONEY Giaan 1982 AUS 27.88 933
4. EDINGTON Sophie 1984 AUS 28.33 889
5. GOH Rachel 1986 AUS 28.37 885
5. MIATKE Danni 1987 AUS 28.37 885
7. NEVELL Belinda 1983 AUS 28.59 865
8. MCLEAN Hannah 1981 NZL 29.21 811

Men's 100m Backstroke, Finals
1. WELSH Matt 1976 AUS 51.38 986
2. BAL Randall 1980 USA 51.75 965
3. PEIRSOL Aaron 1983 USA 52.61 918
4. HICKMAN James 1976 GBR 53.39 879
5. ROLFF Ethan 1982 AUS 53.71 863
6. GUIDO Guilherme 1987 BRA 53.94 852
7. TALBOT Scott 1981 NZL 54.15 842
8. PLUMMER David 1985 USA 54.95 806

Men's 1500m Freestyle, Timed Final
1. PRILUKOV Yuri 1984 RUS 14:39.67 975
2. PARK Tae Hwan 1989 KOR 14:48.46 947
3. NEDERPELT Travis 1985 AUS 14:57.83 917
4. ZHANG Lin 1987 CHN 15:06.47 891
5. SMITH Cameron 1986 AUS 15:12.63 874
6. THOMPSON Andrew 1986 AUS 15:20.16 852
7. ROPER Pierre 1986 AUS 15:36.67 808
8. CHUNG Kwok Leung 1984 HKG 15:38.44 803

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