26th International Meeting Uster
- February 3rd & 4th
- Indoor Pool Buchholz, Uster, Switzerland
- LCM
- Meet Site
- Entry List
- Live Results
SchwimmClub Uster Wallisellen is hosting the 26th annual International Meeting in Uster, Switzerland this weekend, with several notable names on the entry lists. Fresh off of the Euro Meet Luxembourg are a pair of explosive flyers in Ben Proud of Great Britain and Andriy Govorov of Ukraine. Among their events, the duo is set to compete in the 50m butterfly, sure to be another showdown as it was in Luxembourg. At that meet, Proud wound up on top, winning gold in a new meet record mark of 23.03. But, the Ukrainian was right behind in 23.30, so it’s any man’s race in Uster this weekend.
Another flyer will be in the mix, as Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh is set to follow-up his Luxembourg performances with an appearance here in Uster. Cseh is entered in the 400m freestyle and all 3 butterfly events, not only setting the 32-year-old up for a battle with the aforementioned thoroughbreds, but also a duel with his young countryman Kristof Milak in the longer distances. Although Cseh holds the top seeds in both the 100m and 200m butterfly events, 17-year-old Milak has proven to be a rising force, holding the World Junior Records in each event with stunning times of 50.62 and 1:53.79.
The men’s 100m freestyle should be another furious display of power, as Japan’s Shinri Shioura, Belgium’s Olympic silver medalist Pieter Timmers and Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth will all try to race to the top of the podium. Italy’s Piero Codia is also lurking as the 4th seed heading into Uster.
The women’s field is stacked as well, with both a British and Canadian contingency, among other nations. World record holder Kylie Masse is scheduled to race, along with Olympic champion and teen teammate Penny Oleksiak. British national champions Holly Hibbott and Jocelyn Ulyett will also be looking to get additional racing in as the 2018 Commonwealth Games draw nearer.
I believe the statement is still correct for Coach Titley and the 3 sub 53, 100 freestyle swimmers from a block start…
Oleksiak 52.7
Halsall 52.8
Ruck 52.9
VanLandeghem flat start (53.8) and Mainville (53.7)
I am not aware of any other coaches with 3 female athletes in the 52 range, but I could be wrong.
Pretty Impressive
It’s not like they are just drop dead 50/100 free people either. Heard they’ve got some good other events as well
Marcel Wouda will join this exclusive club, kromowidjojo, heemskerk and steenbergen if she makes progress, currently 53.3.
When did Steenbergen go 53.3 LCM?
Interesting that the Canadians are heading over to Switzerland again…guess there isn’t another competitive long course meet in North America again until March in Atlanta?
The first group was probably as much about Titley the Englishman taking a trip to England, and the stop in Switzerland just made it worthwhile for the athletes. Neither Masse nor Oleksiak was on that trip, as I’m sure you recall.
But also yes, elite long course meets in North America are hard to find this time of year. With the Commonwealth Games coming up so soon, they don’t necessarily have time to wait for everyone else to get back in the 50 meter pools.
Titley seems to be doing something right with these Canadian girls. If I’m not mistaken, I think he has now personally coached 3 women sub 53 sec at 100 Free…Oleksiak, Van Landegam, and now Ruck. Would be interested to know if any other women’s coach has accomplished this? Whoever coaches the Campbell sisters perhaps?
Was Van Landeghem ever under 53? I show her best as 53.83.
Only 14 women all-time have been under 53, as far as I can tell. None jump out at me as being 3-to-a-coach. Don’t think Campbell sisters have overlapped with Trickett at all. Maybe there’s an overlap between Kromowidjojo, Heemskerk, and someone?
I must have been looking at a relay split…wondering if he coached an English woman to sub 53 in the past?
Regardless, it seems uncommon for a coach to take 2 women from totally different backgrounds (Oleksiak: Canadian Age Group) and (Ruck: USA Age Group), and to coach them both to sub 53…and both under the age of 18!
He coached Fran Halsall; I know she was still with Colin Stripe (who do wonders with her from age groups right up to Beijing 2008) in 2008, but had spent time with Ben Titley and went to Loughborough (I think) in 2009; before she went 52.8 for the 100fr.
Titley coached Halsall & Tancock to their greatest 50m successes so no surprise to see Ruck improve her taw speed so much.
Thanks DEE…so if he coached Halsall to sub 53 for a total of 3 women swimmers to sub 53, I’m interested to know if any other coach has done that?
Certainly the Campbell sister’s coach has 2, but I’m trying to think of any USA coach in that category? China? Sweden? Denmark?
Per Braden’s comment, if there has only been 14 women in history under 53, and Titley has 3 of them, it seems interesting.
It’s not just uncommon. Penny and Taylor are the only two under 18 females in the world to swim the 100 free under 53 seconds.
True, even with a super suit Cate Campbell didn’t break 53 as a junior. I feel like we are taking their achievment a bit for granted.
A bit for granted? I ain’t no expert, but it seems we got a coach that has taken 3/14 women swimmers (in history) from totally different origins, different base development backgrounds, different countries, and at different times…to sub 53.
Additionally, it seems we have 2/3 of these women achieving this rare benchmark way before they turn 18. And according to public stats, Smith and Sanchez (also currently in Titley’s small training group) aren’t far behind with 53’s in their repertoire…both are also under 18 years of age.
Sounds like Ruck will go to Greg Meehan (also considered one of the top women’s swim coaches in the world) for next year, and not sure where Oleksiak trains the next 2 years,… Read more »
All three as teens; Halsall was 19 when she went 52s – But as I say, Colin Stripe deserves plenty of that credit.
Given that Penny is no longer coached by Titley, I assume they won’t train again together any time soon.
Jacco Verhaeren had a pretty good run with Inge de Bruijn, Kromowidjojo, Marleen Veldhuis, and Inge Dekker. Or Shannon Rollason when he had Jodie Henry and Alice Mills.
Most of the Americans are in college focusing on NCAAs in March and their conference meets coming soon. We will be fast this summer as usual!