Short Course World Championships Day Four Prelims Live Recap

2014 Short Course World Championships

• Meet website
• Doha, Qatar
• December 3-7, 2014 (Wednesday through Sunday)
• Prelims 9:30 am / Finals 6:00 pm (local time)
• Start Lists
• Live results
• Live photo stream

MEN’S 4 x 50 FREESTYLE RELAY – PRELIMS

• World Record: 1:23.36 – Russia – 2013

The Russians got a great lead-off from Evgeny Sedov (20.70) as he teamed up with Nikita Konovalov (21.26), Evgeny Korotyshkin (21.65), and Aleksandr Popkov (21.24) to post the top time this morning in a 1:24.85. Sedov’s leadoff split would have actually placed 3rd last night and nearly 2nd in the individual 50 free race.

Following behind Russia was the United States, whose foursome of Josh Schneider (21.87), Matt Grevers (21.02), Ryan Lochte (20.96), and Darian Townsend (21.70) combined to go a 1:25.55, a new American Record by 0.14 seconds. The previous record had been held by the 2004 Stanford Cardinals team from the Div. 1 NCAA Championships.

Italy (1:25.61), Belgium (1:26.91), Japan (1:28.69), China (1:28.91), Paraguay (1:31.25), and the Philippines (1:34.33) rounded out the rest of the top 8.

Despite their solid performances in the other relays contested so far, Brazil did not actually field a 4×50 freestyle relay, so we will not see Cesar Cielo in this race tonight. Also not fielding a relay was France, so Florent Manaudou will also not be racing in this event.

Event results in PDF format

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• 2012 World Champ: 25.95 – Zhao Jing – China 
• 2010 World Champ: 26.27 – Zhao Jing – China
• Meet Record: 25.95 – Zhao Jing – China – 2012
• World Record: 25.70 – Sanja Jovanovic – Croatia – 2009

Australia’s Emily Seebohm posted the fastest time this morning with a 26.07. She is within striking distance of both the meet record of 25.95 by Zhao Jing and also the Australian record of 25.98 by Marieke Guehrer from 2009. For such a short swim, she had a quite comfortable margin over the rest of the field with nearly 0.4 seconds separating her from 2nd placed Katinka Hosszu (26.45). Hosszu still has the 200 IM later today so she certainly got the job done this morning with her first swim.

Placing third through eighth were Poland’s Aleksandra Urbanczyk (26.54), the United States’ Felicia Lee (26.53), Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina (26.62), the Czech Republic’s Simona Baumrtova (26.63), Great Britain’s Georgia Davies (26.67), and Japan’s Shiko Sakai (26.74).

Danish teenager Mie Nielsen (27.09) took 10th in prelims, and though she is a full second behind the leader, she did enough to get a second swim tonight. Nielsen was seeded at 4th entering today, so she will need to improve quite a bit if she wants to challenge for a medal against such a talented field.

Event results in PDF format here

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• 2012 World Champ: 45.52 – Vladimir Morozov -Russia 
• 2010 World Champ: 45.74 – Cesar Cielo – Brazil
• Meet Record: 45.51 – Vladimir Morozov – Russia – 2014 
• World Record: 44.94 – Amaury Leveaux – France – 2008

Brazil’s Cesar Cielo cruised to a heat win and the top time this morning with a 46.50. He was out in an event-best 22.03 first 50 before relaxing on the second half to come home in a 24.47.

Following close behind was China’s Ning Zetao (46.76), and with that swim the 21-year old shattered a two-year old record held by Lu Zhiwu at 47.29 from the 2012 World Championships. He posted a 46.13 split on the third leg of China’s 4×100 free relay on Day 1, so it was somewhat expected that he would destroy the old record in the individual.

Rounding out the top 8 were Brazil’s Joao de Lucca (46.84), Australia’s Tommaso D’Orsogna (46.88), Australia’s Cameron McEvoy (46.89), Russia’s Danila Izotov (47.00), Belgium’s Pieter Timmers (47.05), and France’s Mehdy Metella (47.26).

Finishing in 10th was France’s Florent Manaudou at a 47.38, and it’s safe to say he was just doing enough to make it back tonight. We’ve already seen him split a 44.8 off a relay start this meet, and he’s coming off a brand new world record in the 50 meter free last night, so he certainly has a lot of speed left.

Notably, Brazil’s de Lucca continued his hot streak this week with a new career best in the 100. De Lucca was a phenomenal NCAA swimmer for the Louisville Cardinals in the sprint events, and he’s been particularly good this week in Doha.

Unfortunately, the United States’ Conor Dwyer (47.86) finished 17th to miss the semifinals once more, and Venezuela’s Cristian Quintero (47.92) also missed a second swim by finishing 19th.

Event results in PDF format here

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• 2012 World Champ: 23.64 – Aleksandra Gerasimenya – Belarus
• 2010 World Champ: 23.37 – Ranomi Kromowidjojo – Venezuela  
• Meet Record: 23.25 – Marleen Veldhuus – Netherlands – 2008
• World Record: 23.24 – Ranomi Kromowidjojo – Netherlands – 2013

20-year-old Bronte Campbell of Australia and 24-year-old Ranomi Kromowidjojo paced all preliminary swimmers with matching times of 23.81.

Taking third in the morning was the United States’ Madison Kennedy at 24.08, and she is actually not very far off the American record of 23.82 by Dara Torres from 2007. Kennedy had only been a 25.1 before today, so this is an outstanding swim for her in a morning setting.

Filling out the rest of the top 8 are Germany’s Dorothea Brandt (24.08), the Bahamas’ Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (24.11), Italy’s Erika Ferraioli (24.12), the Netherlands’ Inge Dekker (24.24), and the United States’ Abbey Weitzeil (24.27).

Notably, Great Britain’s Fran Halsall (who was 23.0 on the anchor of Great Britain’s mixed 4×50 relay) was absent from the field due to her departure from the Championships with a shoulder injury. Also misisng this morning was Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte, although this was just a scratch.

Event results in PDF format here

MEN’S 100 MEDLEY – PRELIMS

• 2012 World Champ: 51.21 – Ryan Lochte – United States
• 2010 World Champ: 50.86 – Ryan Lochte – United States 
• Meet Record: 50.71 -Ryan Lochte – United States – 2012
• World Record: 50.71 – Ryan Lochte – United States – 2012

Russia’s Vlad Morozov blitzed the field with the only sub-52 second of prelims at a 51.57. He has been a 50.97 before, and that time is only 0.02 off the Russian national record of 50.95 from Sergey Fesikov, so Morozov may have his eyes on that record when he races in the middle lane tonight.

And speaking of Fesikov, he slid in right behind Morozov at 52.07 to grab second overall. Fesikov is slightly better in the front-half than Morozov (23.26 first 50 for Fesikov, tied for fastest in field with Lochte), but Morozov’s back-half speed is particularly impressive. His 27.73 second 50 is actually faster than what Lochte went on his second 50 during his world record swim two years ago (Lochte split that race 22.84, 27.87).

Filling out the rest of the top 8 are Germany’s Markus Deibler (52.16), Japan’s Kosuke Hagino (52.62), the United States’ Ryan Lochte (52.66), Poland’s Marcin Cieslak (52.68), Brazil’s Henrique Rodrigues (52.73), and Japan’s Takuro Fujii (52.77).

Lochte has a score to settle with Hagino after the Japanese all-around swimmer robbed Lochte of his third consecutive world title in the 200 IM last night. Lochte’s first-half speed is there, but Hagino’s closing speed has always been dangerous. In the 200 IM last night, Lochte actually held a slim 0.02 second margin entering the freestyle before Hagino put the field away, so it’s going to take more than a quick butterfly and backstroke leg for Lochte to emerge victorious in the 100.

Event results in PDF format here

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• 2012 World Champ: 56.13 – Ilaria Bianchi – Italy
• 2010 World Champ: 55.43 – Felicity Galvez – Australia
• Meet Record: 55.43 – Felicity Galvez – Australia – 2010
• World Record: 55.05 – Diane Bui Duyet – France – 2009

Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen bested a tightly packed field in the women’s 100 fly with a prelims-best time of 56.54.

There is very little wiggle room behind her though as Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (56.56), the Netherlands’ Inge Dekker (56.83), Italy’s Ilaria Bianchi (56.87), Brazil’s Daiene Marcal Dias (56.87), China’s Lu Ying (56.88), Hungary’s Liliana Szilagyi (56.94), and Belgium’s Kimberly Buys (57.18) followed immediately behind the Dane.

Ottesen, Dekker, and Sjostrom are the main contenders in this event, just as the results of the 50 fly last night showed. Though Sjostrom came away with the event title and a new meet record, Ottesen was just over a tenth away with Dekker right on her heels, so anything can happen tonight. At the European Championships earlier this year, Ottesen stunned Sjostrom in the 100 fly with a 0.01 second margin to take the gold medal, so we will have to see if Sjostrom has revenge on her mind.

Event results in PDF format here

WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY – PRELIMS

• 2012 World Champ: 2:04.64– Ye Shiwen – China
• 2010 World Champ: 2:05.73 – Mireia Belmonte Garcia – Spain
• Meet Record: 2:04.64 – Ye Shiwen – China – 2012
• World Record: 2:02.13 – Katinka Hosszu – Hungary – 2014

A Hungarian posted the fastest time in the morning session of the 200 IM, but it’s not the one you’re thinking of. Evelyn Verraszto enters semifinals first with a 2:06.93 effort. Verraszto was phenomenal on her freestyle leg as her 29.43 split was the only sub-30 second split of the top 8 qualifiers. This split helped her run down the United States’ Caitlin Leverenz over the last 50 meters, thus forcing the American to settle for 2nd with a 2:07.01

Right behind these two was Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu in a 2:07.04, although she seemed very relaxed with her splitting. Whereas we have seen her split under 57 seconds in the opening 100 before, she was only out in a 58.8 through the first two legs this morning. She did still have the fastest first half of the top 8 qualifiers though. Her last 50 was only a 31.1, the slowest of everyone returning tonight, so it’s very likely she eased off big-time after leading her heat the entire way.

Rounding out the top 8 are the United States’ Melanie Margalis (2:07.05), Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (2:07.38), Great Britain’s Hannah Miley (2:08.22), Japan’s Sakiko Shimizu (2:08.75), and Australia’s Ellen Fullerton (2:08.72).

Shockingly, former World Champion in the 200 IM, and world record holder in the 400 IM Mireia Belmonte-Garcia finished 10th this morning and missed an opportunity to compete for another medal at these championships. Her freestyle leg was the fastest amongst all swimmers at a 29.69, but her middle 100 meters were subpar in comparison to her competition.

Event results in PDF format here

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• 2012 World Champ: 26.30 – Aleksander Hetland – Norway
• 2010 World Champ: 25.95 – Felipe Silva – Brazil
• Meet Record: 25.95 – Felipe Silva – Brazil – 2010
• World Record: 25.25 – Cameron van der Burgh – South Africa – 2009

Great Britain’s Adam Peaty continued his torrid pace in the sprint breaststrokes this year with the top time this morning at a 26.07. With this swim. Peaty took down the old national record of 26.30 held by Andrew Weatheritt from earlier this June. This distance is arguably Peaty’s best when it comes to the sprints, and he holds a two-tenths of a second margin over the World Record in the event Cameron van der Burgh, who finished 2nd in a 26.27.

Rounding out the top 8 are Brazil’s Felipe Silva (26.37), Slovenia’s Damir Dugonjic (26.39), France’s Giacomo Perez-Dortona (26.46), Russia’s Sergei Geibel (26.55), Russia’s Kirill Prigoda (26.56), and Brazil’s Joao Gomes Junior in a 26.59.

Japanese speedster Yasuhiro Koseki, who finished 5th in the 100 breast sits at 11th with a 26.74.

Event results in PDF format here

MIXED 4×50 FREESTYLE RELAY – PRELIMS

• World Record: 1:29.53 – Russia – 2013

The United States foursome of Josh Schneider (21.81), Darian Townsend (21.58), Amy Bilquist (23.91), and Natalie Coughlin (23.50) raced to the top time this morning at a 1:30.80. The women were very strong contributors to this placing as Coughlin and Bilquist had the fastest and third-fastest splits of all women respectively.

The rest of the top 8 consisted of Brazil (1:31.68), Germany (1:31.74), Russia (1:31.80), Italy (1:32.07), Ukraine (1:32.39), South Africa (1:33.28), and Norway (1L34.48).

Event results in PDF format here