Ottesen Records World’s Top Time In The 50 Butterfly

Danish star Jeanette Ottesen has been having a good week, breaking both the 50 freestyle (24.40) and the 100 butterfly (56.96) Danish records in Canet and today in Barcelona she added a win in the 50 butterfly in the world’s top time.

Going into the event Ottesen already sat on top of the world rankings having posted a time of 25.41 at the Maria Lenk Trophy in April, she improved on that result recording a time of 25.27. Her time was only three one-hundredths of a second off of her national record of 25.24, which she posted at the World Championships last summer.

Although she did not snatch her national mark Ottesen did break Therese Alshammar‘s 2007 meet record of 25.46.

With Fran Halsall of Great Britain, who currently ranks fourth in the world in the event, scratched from the final Ottesen dominated the event winning by over a second. Canadian Noemie Thomas collected the silver touching in a time of 26.33 followed by Russian Svetlana Chimrova who posted a time of 26.38.

Siobhan Marie O’Connor of Great Britain took the women’s 200 IM in a time of 2:09.63 breaking Australian Alicia Coutts 2010 meet record of 2:09.68. O’Connor’s time improves on her season’s best of 2:09.71 which coming into the event was the second fastest time swum this year. Coutts is the only Only to have swum faster than O’Connor this year putting up a 2:08.89 in April.

The race for second was a tight one with Kanako Watanabe of Japan taking the silver in a time of 2:12.42 followed by Aimee Willmott of Great Britain touching in a time of 2:12.43 and Sakiko Shimizu of Japan posting a time of 2:12.46.

After recording the world’s third fastest time of year in the women’s 1500 freestyle yesterday Jazz Carlin followed up that performance by winning the 400 freestyle in a time of 4:04.43, which puts her in the third place position in the world rankings. With that time Carlin broke Joanne Jackson‘s 2009 meet record of 4:05.90.

Carlin’s time is also only four one-hundredths of a second off of her personal best of 4:04.03 which she recorded at the World Championships last summer.

Coralie Balmy of France finished second in a time of 4:07.84 followed by South African Karin Prinsloo who collected the bronze touching in a time of 4:09.98.

Yesterday’s 100 freestyle may not of provided us with a showdown between American Nathan Adrian and Florent Manaudou of France, but today the two faced each in the men’s 50 freestyle with Adrian coming out on top. Adrian who won yesterday’s 100 in a time of 48.08 won the 50 in a time of 21.73, just off of his season’s best of 21.68 which he posted a week ago in Monaco.

Manaudou was not far behind touching in a time of 21.87 17 one-hundredths of a second off of his season’s best of 21.70.

Sinri Shioura of Japan finished third in a time of 22.28, one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Ben Proud of Great Britain.

Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki won the men’s 200 breaststroke with relative ease, taking the event in a time of 2:08.87, breaking Dimitri Komornikov’s 2003 meet record of 2:09.52. Koseki’s time also puts him fourth in the world rankings.

Koseki has seen incredible improvement over the year. He recorded a lifetime best in Canet posting a 2:09.77 bettering his personal best of 2:11.52, which he posted in January at the BHP Billiton Super Series. With the time he put up today he has improved by almost two full seconds over the past year entering the 2014 season with a personal best of 2:11.84.

Michael Jamieson of Great Britain finished second in a time of 2:10.47 just ahead of Kazuki Kohinata who collected the bronze in a time of 2:10.53.

The men’s 1500 freestyle was an incredible race between South African Myles Brown and Pal Joensen of the Faroe Islands. Joensen held the lead the throughout the race with Brown staying with in three seconds of Joensen until the final 100 meters. Brown passed Joensen turning just with the lead at the 1450 mark and winning the race by 36 one-hundredths of a second.

Both men posted season’s bests with Brown posting a 15:10.02 and Joensen recording a 15:10.38. Stephen Milne of Great Britain collected the bronze with a time of 15:15.82.

Georgia Davies took the women’s 50 backstroke in a time of 27.94, just off of her season’s best of 27.80 which is currently ranked third in the world. The race for silver was an exciting one with Mie Nielsen of Denmark finishing second in a time of 28.11 followed by Brazilian Etiene Medeiros who touched in a time of 28.14 and Spaniard Mercedes Peris who finished in a time of 28.15.

Russian Andrei Nikolaev took the men’s 50 breaststroke in a time of 27.48 breaking Cameron van der Burgh‘s 2011 meet record of 27.56. Adam Peaty of Great Britain finished second in a time of 27.57 followed by Damir Dugonjic of Slovenia who touched in a time of 27.80.

David Verraszto of Hungary won the men’s 400 IM with ease taking the event in a time of 4:14.35, nearly four seconds ahead of American Josh Prenot who finished in a time of 4:18.32. Roberto Pavoni of Great Britain finished third in a time of 4:18.44.

Pernille Blume of Denmark took the women’s 100 freestyle in a time of 54.04. Fran Halsall of Great Britain, who scratched from the 50 butterfly earlier in the evening, finished second posting a time of 54.34 followed by Russian Veronika Popova who touched in a time of 54.75.

The men’s 100 backstroke saw two Japanese teammates, who collected wins on the first day in Barcelona, face off against each other. Yesterday Junya Koga took the men’s 50 backstroke while Ryosuke Irie won the men’s 200 backstroke. Koga took turned in a time of 25.91, just ahead of Irie who hit the wall in a time of 25.97. Irie dominated the second half of the race winning the event in a time of 53.12 breaking his own meet record of 53.48 which he posted in 2011.

Koga finished second posting a time of 54.07 followed by Chris Walker-Hebborn who posted a time of 54.53.

Japan’s Kanako Watanbe took gold in the women’s 100 breaststroke posting a time of 1:07.74. Jessica Vall Montero of Spain finished second in a time of 1:08.73 followed by her Spanish teammate Marina Garcia Urzainqui who recorded a time of 1:08.95.

Russian Daria Ustinova, who currently holds down the second spot in the world rankings in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:08.02, took the event in Barcelona posting a time of 2:08.50. It was not an easy win for Ustinova who had to out swim Elizabeth Simmonds of Great Britain in the final 50 meters.

Simmonds turned three one-hundredths of a second ahead of the Russian at the 150 mark, but was not able to stick with Ustionva in the final lap of the race finishing in a time of 2:09.30.

Eyglo Osk Gustafsdottir of Iceland finished third in a time of 2:12.14.

American Camille Adams was able to out swim the field in the final 50 meters of the women’s 200 butterfly to take the event in a time of 2:09.05. Spaniard Judit Ignacio Sorribes had the lead heading into the final 50 meters, but Adams was able to catch and pass Sorribes in the final lap. Sorribes finished second in a time of 2:09.25 followed by Aimee Willmott of Great Britain who finished third posting a time of 2:09.88.

Konrad Czerniak of Poland took the men’s 100 butterfly in a time of 52.28. Takuro Fuji of Japan finished second in a time of 52.49 followed by teammate Hirofumi Ikebata who finished third in a time of 52.66.

Pawel Korzeniowski of Poland took the men’s 200 freestyle in a time of 1:47.90. Korzeniowski had to pass James Guy of Great Britain in the final 50 meters to take the gold.

Guy finished second in a time of 1:48.22 followed by Russian Artem Lobuzov who finished third in a time of 1:48.93.

Full results can be found here.