Commonwealth Warning Shots: Le Clos 51.36 1Fly, Proud 21.61 In Milan

Yui Ohashi

8° TROFEO CITTÀ DI MILANO

Commonwealth Games-bound studs Chad Le Clos of South Africa and Ben Proud of Great Britain (England) put on a fireworks show on day 2 of the Trofeo Citta Di Milano. After cranking out wins yesterday in their respective events of the 200m fly and 50m fly, Le Clos and Proud turned up the heat once again to prove they’re ready to go for the Gold Coast less than 4 weeks from now.

In the 100m fly tonight, multiple Olympic medalist Le Clos thew down a monster 51.36 to take gold in his fastest performance of the season. Spitting 24.02/27.34, Le Clos represented the only competitor to dip under the 52 second threshold, as the 25-year-old beat the field by well over a second. Italy’s Matteo Rivolta settled for silver in 52.90.

For prolific flyer Le Clos, tonight’s outing checks-in among his personal top 10 performances and now ranks him as 3rd in the world.

2017-2018 LCM MEN 100 FLY

2Piero
CODIA
ITA50.6408/09
3Chad
LE CLOS
RSA50.6504/09
4Jack
CONGER
USA51.0003/01
5Joseph
SCHOOLING
SGP51.0408/22
View Top 26»

The South African also wreaked havoc in the 200m freestyle event, taking the top prize in a swift 1:48.32, .04 faster than what Le Clos was at his nation’s Commonwealth Games Trials. Frenchman Jordan Pothain set himself with the pole position after the top morning effort of 1:49.68, but was unable to hold-off Le Clos. Pothain earned silver for France in a time of 1:49.96.

For Proud’s part, the thoroughbred followed up on his 50 fly victory from last night with an eye-popping 50m freestyle performance tonight. Blasting off the block, the Energy Standard swimmer clinched the win easily in a mark of 21.61, his 2nd fastest of the season. The world champion already ranks as the #1 swimmer in this event so far this season with the 21.52 clocked at the International Meet Uster last month.

Ilaria Cusinato crushed a time of 4:39.66 to win the women’s 400m IM tonight. Cusinato had never before been under the 4:40 threshold, with her previous personal best sitting at the 4:40.70 from Riccione last year, and her best before that represented by 4:42.18 from 2016.

Cusinato’s effort tonight checks the European Short Course bronze medalists in as the 9th fastest in the world right now.

2017-2018 LCM WOMEN 400 IM

YuiJPN
OHASHI
04/08
4.30.82
2Fantine
LESAFFRE
FRA4.34.1708/03
3Ilaria
CUSINATO
ITA4.34.6506/30
4Ally
McHUGH
USA4.34.8007/27
5Aimee
WILLMOTT
GBR4.34.9004/05
6Brooke
FORDE
SA4.35.0907/27
7Hannah
MILEY
GBR4.35.1604/05
8Melanie
MARGALIS
USA4.35.5007/27
9Leah
SMITH
USA4.35.6807/27
10Sakiko
SHIMIZU
JPN4.36.2708/09
View Top 26»

In the all-Italian women’s 200 butterfly final, national record holder Ilaria Bianchi proved too much for the field to handle, as the 100m fly champion from yesterday cranked out another near-best personal time. Stopping the clock at 2:10.38 (1:02.34/1:08.04), Bianchi produced her 3rd best time ever, touching just over a second off her career-fastest of 2:09.12 that rendered her 13th after prelims in Budapest. She wound up scratching the semi-finals at those World Championships.

Alessia Polieri was runner-up in the race, finishing also in a 2:10-time of 2:10.95, while Aurora Retronio was well behind the leaders in 2:15.52 to round out the top 3.

Charlotte Bonnet produced another double win tonight, taking 2 golds within just minutes of one another. Bonnet first won the women’s 50m fly in a solid 26.63 over Italy’s Elena Di Liddo, who finished in 26.74. Then, Bonnet got back in the pool to clinch the women’s 100m freestyle victory.

Clocking 55.32, Bonnet was able to beat out Italy’s Erika Ferraioli, who settled for silver in 55.82. Of note, Bonnet was faster in this morning’s prelim, producing the top seed of 54.66.

Additional Winners on the Day:

  • Linda Caponi of Italy took the women’s 400m freestyle in 4:09.93, the only swimmer to dip under the 4:10 threshold tonight.
  • The women’s 200m breaststroke saw the host nation’s Francesca Fangio race to the wall first, clinching the win in 2:29.04.
  • Swiss swimmer Jeremy Desplanches was the winner of tonight’s 200m IM event, clocking a mark of 1:59.45 to crush the field by well over 2 seconds. Desplanches holds the Swiss national record with the 1:56.86 produced in Budapest last summer.
  • Luca Mencarini stood atop the podium in the men’s 200m backstroke, touching in 2:00.13 for the win.
  • The men’s 50m backstroke saw Mirco Di Tora get his hand on the wall first, earning the only sub-26 mark in 25.98.
  • Czech athlete Simona Braumrtova wrangled in the women’s 100m backstroke victory in 1:00.41 over Britain’s Georgia Davies. Davies finished in 1:01.08 to follow-up on her 50m backstroke gold from night 1.
  • Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli doubled up on his 50m breaststroke gold from last night with another win this evening. Scozzoli took the men’s 100m distance in 1:01.26.
  • The women’s 50m breaststroke saw Martina Carraro of Italy race to the wall first in 31.63.
  • Another Czech Republic victory came in the form of national record holder Jan Micka‘s win in the men’s 1500m freestyle. The 400m freestyle silver medalist from yesterday raced to a winning time of 15:13.22 after leading wire-to-wire. Frenchman Damien Joly was 2nd tonight in 15:14.20.

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ReasonableDoubt
6 years ago

Also Le Clos just swam an untappered and Unshaved 1:55.06.

Billlabong
Reply to  ReasonableDoubt
6 years ago

That is a pretty swift time for this time of the year. He is closer to his major championship meet of the year than in a normal year, but it bodes well for CWG in 4 weeks time on a full taper (he may even shave down!).I think that we all want to see him go faster than he did in 2012……which is a long time without a PB in the 200 fly. Unfortunately Dressel seems to be locking the field out of the 100fly. He is in a class of his own.

ReasonableDoubt
6 years ago

What World or Olympic medals has conger received other than relays? I will wait.

Neil
6 years ago

Going off of what’s been a lot of hate for le Clos in the US, I think a lot of it has been unfairly propagated by NBC during the 2016 Olympics. They chose to control the narrative around him to be an insolent trash talker who ‘berated’ their holier-than-thou Phelps, instead of featuring how le Clos was swimming with the heaviest heart out of anyone during those games with BOTH of his parents suffering from cancer–at least other broadcasting corps like BBC and CBC actually had this as a large part of what he was swimming for. This guy has been through a lot, and American media unfairly vilified him during Rio.

And if I might actually remind everyone,… Read more »

Courtney
Reply to  Neil
6 years ago

Well stated!

Rafael
6 years ago

Outside this meet Guilherme Costa went a new SA lcm 800 record with 7:56:19 today on a small state meet

Tom from Chicago
6 years ago

What’s up with Hosszu? Is she taking a break? Why isn’t she in the Top 10 for the 4 IM?

Caeleb Dressel Will Get 8 golds in Tokyo
Reply to  Tom from Chicago
6 years ago

Cause 400 im is super hard as you get older

Dee

Which is why I give such *huge* props to Hannah Miley; Been in every world and Olympic final since 2008.

Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

People hate Le Clos way too much. I mean dude is talented and he’s won multiple world titles so I gotta give him credit. Plus he’s way more entertaining than boring swimmers like conger, shields, Dwyer. He’s a wild one.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

Conger isn’t even boring like, what? Le Clos is just a plain old A-hole who needs his attention

CRD
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Just like Schooling

Hswimmer
Reply to  CRD
6 years ago

Exactly.

ems
Reply to  CRD
6 years ago

You clearly have not met Schooling.

Reasonabledoubt
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Personality wise yes conger is boring. Le clos while yes he’s an a-hole still has better times than conger and shields plus titles so if he wants to talk big he can. A lot of these great swimmers are just too repetitive in the things they say in after race interviews. Lily King is an a-hole to the fullest, at least le clos doesn’t put down his competition or their training methods he’s just loud and abrasive.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

Lilly put down her competition because her competition is on drugs and not clean, in my opinion that’s highly respectable…

Sum Ting Wong
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Conger is on drugs that are much more powerful than what Efimova tested for .

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Sum Ting Wong
6 years ago

some trolls are on the rise today or what ?

Billabong
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Have you ever met the guy?

Skoorbnagol
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Clown

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

It’s cause he talked down Michael totally the best role model Phelps

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

Boring swimmers ? u must be joking above your head mate …..i got a reasonable doubt about your biased affirmations . Its time u be that non boring swimmer ….. lol

Southern Orca
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

People in one country . Not the rest of the world

Southern Orca
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

Some people

Ellie
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

Le Clos has a large number of fans from all over the world. Only US people hate him.

Buona
Reply to  Reasonabledoubt
6 years ago

Those who hates Le Clos is just a sore loser due to the fact that he defeated phelps in london 2012. Admit it..

Pvdh
Reply to  Buona
6 years ago

Lol and you hate Dressel because he wrecks schooling

Pvdh
6 years ago

Proud 21.1-21.2 at Commonwealths. Will be a good challenge to hit for Fratus/Dressel Pan Pacs

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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