FINA 2009 World Championships Swimming - Day 6 Evening Session
British Gas swimmer Fran Halsall impressed on her way to winning the silver medal in the women’s 100m Freestyle final as she swam under 53 seconds for the first time in her career.
The Olympian got a good start and turned in third place at the 50m mark behind fastest qualifier Libby Trickett (Australia) and 2008 Olympic champion, Britta Steffen (Germany).
Steffen, who held the world record going into the final after a 52.22 effort in the first leg of the German 4x100m free relay on Day 1, lay in second place behind Trickett at the turn but it was Halsall that had the best finish. The British record holder stormed through the final 50m as she over took Olympic medallist Trickett to win the silver medal in a new British record time of 52.87.
"I can’t believe it," Halsall said. "I was dreaming of a medal but to win silver in such a fast time is amazing. I just saw Britta’s wave and thought if I am on that I’ll be there or there abouts. I turned to myself and said it is your last individual event and I just gave it all my heart. My arms were failing but I just wouldn’t give in. This is just the most amazing moment for me, I am ecstatic. I am only 19 years old and I hope my best years are ahead of me but it is looking good for London off the back of that swim. The whole spirit on this British team is amazing, it is infectious and you are seeing the results of that."
25 year old Steffen won the gold medal in a new world record time of 52.07 and Trickett took bronze behind Halsall in 52.93. Trickett has accumulated total of 14 awards at FINA World Championships – only Americans Natalie Coughlin (15) and Jenny Thompson (retired, 14) have more.
In the men’s 200m backstroke, Aaron Peirsol (USA) first in 2001, 2003, 2005 but only second in 2007 behind Ryan Lochte, won back his title and his 11th medal at World Championships in 1:51.92, a new WR. His main challenger in Beijing, Lochte, was third this time (1:53.82) behind Japan’s Ryosuke Irie (1:52.51).
Olympic champion Rebecca Soni (USA) looked set for victory in the women’s 200m breaststroke finalists up to the 175m mark but could only finish a disappointing fourth in 2:22.15 behind 22 year old Serbian Nadja Higl (2:21.62), Canadian world recorder holder Annamay Pierse (2:21.84) and Austrian Mirna Jukic (2:21.9).
The semi-finals of the women’s 200m Backstroke saw Elizabeth Simmonds break the British record after touching in a new personal best time of 2:07.21. Simmonds took the race out from the start and knew she had to get a quick time under belt in order to make the final. She led throughout the race and touched home in first place in her semi-final after knocking over a second off her personal best. She qualified as the third fastest athlete for the final.
"I had a disappointing swim this morning but that certainly made up for it," Simmonds said. "I got my head in gear this afternoon and just went for it. I went out fast and was desperately trying to hold on but I didn’t think it was going to be that fast."
World 100m Backstroke Champion Gemma Spofforth qualified for the final after finishing in second place behind Simmonds in a time of 2:07.64. She goes into the final ranked in fifth place.
"To have Lizzie alongside you before the race takes all the nerves away and I am so happy we both made it through tonight," Spofforth said. "We both had two impressive swims and it will be good to be there in the final."
Eric Shanteau led the men’s 200m breaststroke for most of the race but misjudged his finish leaving Hungary’s Daniel Gyurta to win his country’s first gold medal at these championships in 2:07.64 by 0.01s. The bronze was shared by Australia’s Christian Sprenger and Lithuania’s Giedrius Titenis in 2:07.80.
The men’s 4x200m Freestyle relay saw the British Gas team lower the British record as they swam a good race and finished in seventh place in a world record breaking final. Robbie Renwick, who broke the British record for the 200m Freestyle in the heats, showed his strength again as he became the first British man to swim under 1:46 seconds. He finished his leg in a new British record time of 1:45.99 as he gave the team a good start.
Robert Bale took the second leg and swam to a new personal best of 1:47.18 and David Carry took over for the British Gas team. Former British record holder Carry swam a good 200m as he swam to a career best after finishing in 1:46.41. Ross Davenport was the anchor for the team and he brought the Brits home in a new British record time of 7:05.67 as they took seventh place overall.
Michael Phelps (USA) and Paul Biedermann (GER) led off their teams and as in Day 3, Biedermann won their duel, on this occasion in 1:42.81 to the American's 1:44.49. Despite this early success for Germany, the US team set a new WR of 6:58.55, 0.01 faster than their own best established in Beijing in 2008. It was Phelps’ third gold (and fourth medal) of these championships. Russia took the silver in 6:59.15 and bronze went to Australia in 7:01.65.
Michael Rock, who competed in his first major international final in the 200m Butterfly earlier in the week, lowered his British record for the second time in the men’s 100m Butterfly semi-finals. The Olympian lowered his own British record to 51.65 in this morning’s heats and swam another good race as he touched in a time of 51.41 to lower the national standard further.
Rock came up against tough competition for a final place from Olympic silver medallist Milorad Cavic (Serbia) and world record holder Michael Phelps. Cavic clocked 50.01 in the second semi-final breaking Phelps’ world record from July 2009 which is pending FINA approval (50.22). Phelps will swim in lane 5 in the final after touching in 50.48. Rock was pushed down the leader board to 13th place overall.
"That was all I could do," Rock said. "I had to do a best time and break the British record to give myself the chance and I’ve done that. For me there is another 100m to go as I’m a 200m swimmer, but that shows there’s a future for me in the shorter distance."
In the first women’s 50m butterfly semi-final, Marleen Veldhuis (NED) clocked 25.28 beating her own best from April 2009 of 25.33. Her joy was short-lived as Sweden’s Therese Alshammar did even better in the second semi, qualifying fastest in 25.07.
Click to view results from Day 6
The British Gas Swimming Team set to compete in Rome comprises:
Rebecca Adlington – Nova Centurion
Jazmin Carlin – Swansea ITC
Jess Dickons – Stockton/Bath ITC
Ellen Gandy – Tritans, Melbourne
Fran Halsall – City of Liverpool/Loughborough ITC
Louise Henley - University of Edinburgh
Georgia Holderness – Millfield School
Jo Jackson – Derwentside/Loughborough ITC
Jemma Lowe – Stockton
Caitlin McClatchey - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Hannah Miley – Garioch
Keri-Anne Payne – Stockport Metro/Stockport ITC
Lizzie Simmonds - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Amy Smith - Loughborough University
Gemma Spofforth – Portsmouth Northsea/Florida
Stacey Tadd - University of Bath
Lowri Tynan - Wrexham
Katherine Wyld – Nova Centurion
Emma Wilkins – Plymouth Leander
Robert Bale - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Adam Brown – Hatfield
Simon Burnett – Windsor
David Carry – Aberdeen Dolphins/Stockport ITC
Richard Charlesworth - Hatfield
Ross Davenport - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
David Davies – City of Cardiff /Loughborough ITC
James Gibson – Marseille
Kris Gilchrist – University of Edinburgh
James Goddard - Stockport Metro/Stockport ITC
Tom Haffield – City of Cardiff
Ian Hulme – City of Sunderland
Andy Hunter – Stirling Swimming/Stirling ITC
Marco Loughran – Guildford City
Michael Rock - Stockport Metro/Stockport ITC
Robbie Renwick – City of Glasgow
Joe Roebuck - Loughborough University
Lewis Smith – Warrender/Stirling ITC
Liam Tancock - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Grant Turner - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Chris Walker-Hebborn – Team Ipswich/Bath ITC
Richard Webb – University of Bath
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