Two World Records For Aussies and One for Japan
Kitajima is Japan's First Men's World Champion
BARCELONA - Three world records on the second day of these World Championships—two in finals, one in a semi-final to quicken the tempo with six more days to remaining.
The USA leads in medals with 6 (2-3-1) with AUS close with 5 (2-2-1) with 14 countries winning on or more medals.
100 Fly Final-Women
Jenny Thompson (USA) won yet another World Championship title tonight to raise her total to (5 plus '91). Thompson, who trains just five times a week while attending Columbia Medical School in New York City, has spent the last two years focusing on her schoolwork, but her swimming is better than ever. Her win was a championship record of 57.96.
"If you'd asked when I was young if I'd still be swimming at 30, I'd have said no way," Thompson said. "I've got a really crowded schedule. I'm very excited about the fact I am the woman who has won the most medals (11) in four World Championships.
Otylia Jedrzejczak (POL) repeated her silver medal performance from '01 in a 58.22 while Martina Moravcova (SVK) picked up a bronze in 58.24. Both women were off their best times. American Natalie Coughlin was 8th, but still managed to find the silver lining. "I did my best and that's what my best is today. I was hoping Jenny would win, I knew I couldn't do it."
50 Fly Final-Men
From lane 8, backstroker Matt Welsh (AUS) showed everyone that he's not a bad butterflyer either. First off the start and to the wall, Welsh broke the world record by 1/100th of a second en route to his 23.43 win. Ian Crocker (USA) Russian Evgueni Korotychkine (RUS) were second and third, shutting out the former world record holder and defending champ Geoff Huegill (AUS).
"I have no idea where that came from," said Welsh. "I just had no pressure, I was in lane 8, and my first thought was oh my god I've won, oh my god it's a world record, then…I'm dead, I've got the 100 back!"
100 Breast Semi-Final-Women
Leisel "Lethal" Jones (AUS) went from tears of sadness after a poor 200 IM on Day One, to tears of joy in breaking Penny Heyns's world record. Her time of 1:06.37 was an utter shock to the young Aussie, who couldn't believe the scoreboard. "Those weren't quite tears of joy, but close to it. It was quite a shock to see the time on the scoreboard. It still hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure it will tonight when I go to bed. I think it was seeing Matt set a world record that inspired me."
Canada's Rhiannon Leier snuck into tomorrow night's final with a 1:09.25. She'll have to crack 1:09 at least to move up a spot from 8th. Her teammate and ‘98 world bronze medallist Lauren van Oosten missed the cut in 13th with 1:10.15.
200 Free Semi-Final-Men
In a made for TV swim from lane 8, Peter Mankoc (SLO) led semi-final number 1 until the 150, out ahead of Aussie Ian Thorpe. Of course that was until Thorpedo turned on the jets and started to swim. His time of 1:47.20 won the heat, while Mankoc touched second in 1:48.92.
In the opposite game plan, Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED) took out his heat under world record pace. His final time was 1:46.32, qualifying him in the top spot for tomorrow night's final. Grant Hackett (AUS) and Nate Dusing (USA) round out the top four in 1:47.72 and 1:48.66.
Rick Say (CAN) was ninth, just missing a spot into the final.
100 Back Semi-Final-Women
Katy Sexton (GBR) picked up her turnover and bettered her start tonight to win the first semi-final in a 1:01.32. Mai Nakamura (JPN) was slower than this morning touching third behind Stanislava Komarova (RUS) 1:01.47 to 1:01.42.
Nina Zhivanevskaya (ESP) got a rousing cheer from the crowd, but was just touched out by a great swim from Antje Buschschulte (GER) who missed her national mark by 2/100ths of a second. That record, set in 1984, will have to wait for the final, but her time of 1:00.61 was fast enough to qualify her into lane 4. Zhivanevskaya touched in 1:00.74 followed by Iryna Amshennikova (UKR) in a 1:01.39.
100 Breast Final-Men
The world record holder and defending champ was missing, but that didn't take anything away from Kosuke Kitajima's (JPN) win tonight as he smashed the world record in a 59.78. It was a brilliant race for the 20 year-old-man. He let James Gibson (GBR) take it out 0.63 under the world record, and as Gibson began to fade in the final 20 metres, Kitajima surged to the wall. Brendan Hansen USA), the 200 breast defending champ also passed Gibson in the final metres to win silver in 1:00.21 to Gibson's 1:00.37. All three men swam best times to collect their medals.
Canada's Morgan Knabe had a solid swim with 1:01.07, just off his national record (1:00.70), but that was only good enough for 5th spot.
100 Back Semi-Final-Men
Within minutes of receiving his medal and honours for his win and world record in the 50 fly, Aussie Matt Welsh was back in the water vying for a spot in the final where he looks to defend his world title. But he'll have to step up to beat top seed American Aaron Peirsol who broke the meet record with his win in the second semi-final with 54.28. He will also have to hold off 19 year old Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) who won the first semi-fina in 54.29, and Alex Lim (MAS) who tied with Welsh in 54.77.
200 IM Final-Women
Yana Klochkova (UKR) went out for the world record tonight, falling short in the final 25 metres. She was 0.37 under at the half, but fell off on the free leg. She touched just shy of her personal best in 2:10.75, but good enough for a meet record. 17 year old Alice Mills (AUS) lowered her best time by another second to win silver in 2:12.75, while Yafei Zhou (CHN) also swam a PB to earn bronze in 2:12.92.
Alice Mills was fifth at last year's Commonwealth Games with a 2:16.35 and made a huge drop to 2:12.75 a new Commonwealth and national record. "I've been coming on pretty well so I knew I had it in me, Mills said. "Tonigth I was just so relaxed, I have already done what I wanted her, so this was just an extra bonus. I knew I'd have to go pretty fast so I gave myself a chance and it all worked out well."
| Swimming Medals as of July 21 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | TOTAL | |
| USA | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| AUS | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| GER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| RUS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| JPN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| UKR | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| HUN | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| POL | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| CHN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FRA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| ROM | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| GBR | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| SVK | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | |
