The American women have led off the 2011 Duel in the Pool in Atlanta, Georgia, with a monstrous 3:45.56 in the meet’s very first event with a quartet of Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer, and Missy Franklin, which should be very similar to the foursome that takes on this same race (and perhaps a long course World Record) in London. (Video of the race here).
Coughlin led the race off in a new American Record of 55.97 , which broke her old mark of 56.08 done at Short Course Worlds, and is the 4th-fastest swim ever. (The swim was so good, that her 50 split was an American Record too in 26.98). The Americans didn’t slow down after that, with Rebecca Soni going the fastest breaststroke split ever (1:02.91), Vollmer held on to it (55.36), and Franklin wasn’t going to let it come back with an anchor split of 51.32.
Comparative splits to the old World Record, which was incidentally done at the last version of this meet in Manchester in 2009 in 3:47.97. Though short course and long course aren’t necessarily congruous, this is a quartet that seems as though it should be equally good in a 50 meter pool as a 25 meter. Vollmer was the only holdover from that relay.
USA (2009 Duel)
Margaret Hoelzer (57.47)
Jessica Hardy (1:03.58)
Dana Vollmer (54.37)
Amanda Weir (52.55)
USA (2011 Duel
Natalie Coughlin (56.08)
Rebecca Soni (1:02.91)
Dana Vollmer (55.36)
Missy Franklin (51.32)
These short course relay records are not as blazing as are the long course, mostly because there was no big, well-attended World Championship meet during the rubber suit era, so breaking it is not a big surprise. Crushing it by 2 seconds might be, but when you look at the group that swam in Manchester compared to this one, maybe it’s not a surprise.
bobo gigi i definitely agree with your last comment.
also it’s interesting to see that Vollmer was a lot slower? wasn’t the best meet for her.
Franklin might be rested, but it doesn’t really make a difference. She’s just fast.
Berens, Grevers, Klueh, Hersey and Weber-Gale are shaved/tapered, pretty sure.
Yeah, I can tell you that the US Team is all over the map in preparation for this meet. Some people simply are not rested, although even the “non-rested” people are going a 3 day rest-thing. I do not know this but I’ve heard Franklin is rested, while the UF people like Lochte and Beisel are not….however the UF people are at least wearing suits at this meet….they have been wearing briefs at all of the meets since the summer. They are doing all sorts of things. Keep in mind, it takes 3- or more weeks to really taper at this level.
Nothing new to said about this relay. It’s a dream team. Perhaps the best women’s medley team of all time. These girls deserve now the world record in long course.
As I said, when untapered, unrested, unshaven americans can trash the tapered, rested, shaven europeans in SCM, where the europeans normally excel more, then in Londonthe americans will clean up all gold and silver without question.
start lists now up for day 2!
missy will be doing the 200 free/100 back double + the free relay (natalie, jessica, dana, missy against jeanette, fran, alaksandra, ranomi).
I doubt anyone was “tapered”. Their were some who responded to a few days of rest more then others though. I would guess based on what Dwyerand some others did they had a couple of light days and probably responded to that more then someone else with a different body makeup.
Of the FAST swimmers, Klueh shaved but he looked to be the only one in that group.Not sure about Berens but he is swimming very fast and I expect he will rock the 200 today.
HA! Anyone who thinks UF is the only team un-rested is bonkers. Simply not true, this is a fact. I can tell you for sure that there are a few others in the same boat. Why taper for a two day timed finals short course meters meet?!? Not very smart to do that in my opinion.