Day One in Berlin Begins with a Bang

Only a few short days after an amazing FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain ended the FINA World Cup series began in Eindhoven, Netherlands. At the first stop of the 2013 series there were several new world records fell by the wayside and today, the first day of the World Cup in Berlin, that trend continued. Double Olympic silver medalist Mireia Belmonte Garica decided to get in on the action becoming the first woman to break the eight minute mark in the women’s 800 freestyle posting a 7:59.34.

Belmonte Garcia breaks the world record of 8:01.06 set by Camille Muffat of France in November.

Muffat – 1:58.39/4:00.85 (2:02.46)/6:01.78 (2:00.63)/8:01.06 (1:59.28)

Belmonte Garcia – 1:59.38/3:59.80 (2:00.42)/5:59.38 (1:59.58)/7:59.34 (1:59.96)

Belmonte Garcia the joins Rafael Munoz, who hold is the world record in the men’s 50 butterfly (LCM), as one of two Spanish athletes to currently hold a world record.

She was followed by Lauren Boyle of New Zealand. Boyle and Belmonte Garcia have had many opportunities over the last two week to face each other in the finals of the 800 and 1500 freestyle at the World Championships and then again in the 400 and 800 freestyle in Eindhoven, each time Boyle had gotten that better of her, that was until today.

Boyle won the 800 freestyle in Eindhoven posting an 8:01.22 missing Muffat’s world record by only 16 one-hundredths of a second. Today in Berlin she finished second in a time of 8:02.53.

Double silver medalist from the Barcelona Lotte Friis of Denmark finished third in a time of 8:12.14.

Men’s 400 IM

Daiya Seto of Japan was crowned the 400 IM world champion in Barcelona and has now followed that up with impressive wins in both Eindhoven and Berlin. Seto took the event in a time of 3:58.84, surpassing his own World Cup record of 4:00.12. He was also a second and a half faster than his time of 4:00.37 which he posted in Eindhoven.

He was followed by American Conor Dwyer who recorded a time of 3:59.90 while Hungarian David Verraszto finished third in a time of 4:01.25.

Men’s 100 freestyle

The men’s 100 freestyle was another head to head battle between Russian Vlad Morozov and Australian James Magnussen. Over the last week the story has been the same, Morozov takes a big lead early only to be caught by Magnussen in the last 10 meters, today in Berlin the story took a little different twist.

Morozov led the race at the 50, turning in a time of 21.78, almost half a second ahead of Magnussen, but in this race the Australian did not have enough take the led from the Russian.

Vlad Morozov (Photo Credit Victor Puig, victorpuig.com)

Morozov won the event in a time of 45.74. Magnussen finished second in a time of 46.04 while Steffen Deibler of Germany finished third in a time of 46.20.

Women’s 200 freestyle

The women’s 200 freestyle was a tremendous race between Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands, Hungarian Katinka Hosszu and Melanie Costa Schmid of Spain. At the halfway point Hosszu had the lead turning in a time of 54.56 and with 50 meters to go all three women were within 12 one-hundredths of a second of each other.

Heemskerk finished with the strongest final fifty posting a time of 1:52.25 breaking her own Dutch national record of 1:52.42 which she set in 2010.

Hosszu finished second in a time of 1:52.32 followed by Costa Scmid who finished third recording a time of 1:52.52.

Men’s 50 breaststroke

Just as they did in Eindhoven South African Roland Schoeman and Italian Fabio Scozzoli went one two in the 50 breaststroke. At the first World Cup they were separated by two one-hundredths of a second, today Schoeman stretched his lead to a whopping seven on-hundredths of a second taking the event in a time of 25.65.

Scozzoli finished second in a time of 25.72 followed by Hendrik Feldwehr of German who recorded a time of 26.37.

Women’s 100 breaststroke

Jamaican Alia Atkinson seemed to to have Rikke Moeller-Pedersen‘s number when it came to the short course 100 breaststroke, beating her at the World Short Course Championships in December and then again in Eindhoven, today that all changed. Atkinson the speeder of the two took the led at the fifty turn, but the Danish world record holder in the 200 breaststroke did not allow that lead to last for long in the second half of the race.

Rikke Moller Pedersen (Photo Credit Victor Puig, victorpuig.com)

Moeller-Pedersen was over a second faster than Atkinson in the second fifty meters winning the race in a time of 1:03.74. With that time Moeller-Pedersen breaks her own national record of 1:04.05 which she set in December.

Atkinson finished second in a time of 1:04.45 while Australian Sally Foster finished third in a time of 1:05.22.

Women’s 100 butterfly

The three fastest women in Eindhoven were once again the three fastest women in Berlin. Jeantte Ottesen Gray of Denmark took the event in a time of 55.94. She was followed by Canadian Katerine Savard who set a new national record finishing second in a time of 56.35.

Australian Ellen Gandy finished third in a time of 56.56.

Men’s 100 backstroke

In Berlin Robert Hurley did not have to share his victory with anyone winning the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 50.01. In Eindhoven Hurley tied for gold with Aussie teammate Ashley Delany.

In today’s race Hurley broke Delany’s 2009 national record of 50.18.

Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland finished second in a time of 50.46 followed by Mitch Larkin of Australia who picked up the bronze posting a time of 50.54.

Women’s 50 backstroke

Aya Terakawa set the Japanese record in the 50 backstroke earlier in the year posting a 26.05, today she just missed setting the record again winning the 50 backstroke in a time of 26.06. She was followed by Aleksandra Urbanczyk of Poland who finished second in a time of 26.12 and Simona Baumrtova of the Czech Republic who collected the bronze posting a time of 26.55.

Men’s 200 butterfly

In Eindhoven Chad le Clos led the men’s 200 butterfly from start to finish winning the event in a new world record time of 1:49.04. In that same race Russian Nikolay Skvortsov took his first 100 out very conservatively, but finished extremely strong to finish second with a time of 1:50.99.

In today’s race Skvortsov decided to try a little different strategy. The Russian led at the 100 turning in a time of 52.87, over a second faster than his race in Eindhoven.

Going into the final fifty meters he still had a slight lead over le Clos and World Championships silver medalist Pawel Korzeniowski of Poland. le Clos took over the race at that point eventually winning in a time of 1:49.90, Korzeniowski finished second in a time of 1:50.43 followed by Daiya Seto of Japan who finished third in a time of 1:50.96.

Skvortsov paid for the effort he exerted in the first half of the race falling to fifth finishing in a time of 1:51.57.

Women’s 200 IM

In Eindhoven World Champion Katinka Hosszu of Hungary broke the world record in the prelims and then improved by over a second in the finals winning the  event in a new world record of 2:03.20. In Berlin Hosszu just missed breaking the world record once again winning the event in a time of 2:03.20.

Hosszu prelims in Eindhoven – 27.09/58.35 (31.26)/1:34.87 (35.52)/2:04.39 (29.52)

Hosszu finals in Eindhoven – 26.69/57.58 (30.89)/1:33.81 (36.23)/2:03.20 (29.39)

Hosszu final in Berlin – 26.89/57.87 (30.98)/1:33.92 (36.05)/2:03.25 (29.33)

Hosszu was followed by her Hungarian teammate Zsuzsanna Jakabos who finished second in a time of 2:06.04 and Australian Emily Seebohm who posted a time of 2:06.95.

Men’s 400 freestyle

200 backstroke Olympic champion Tyler Clary of the United States has not been sharp over the last couple of weeks, but seems to be getting better as time goes on. Clary who recorded a time of 3:44.87 in Eindhoven won the event in Berlin by over three

Tyler Clary (Photo Credit Victor Puig, victorpuig.com)

seconds finishing in a time of 3:36.86. The American has not swum the 400 freestyle short course before this week, but has a long course best of 3:49.91.

Fellow American Conor Dwyer finished second in a time of 3:40.10. South African Myles Brown, who finished ahead of Dwyer for the silver in Eindhoven, finished third in a time 3:41.36.

Women’s 50 freestyle

World and Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands, who set the 50 freestyle world record swimming 23.24 a few days ago, was not able to match that time in Berlin winning the event in a time of 23.72. Jeanette Ottesen Gray finished second in a time of 23.88. Her time breaks her own national record of 23.89, which she set in Eindhoven.

Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden finished third in a time of 23.95.

Men’s 200 breaststroke

Hungarian Daniel Gyurta stood on top of the podium once again winning the men’s 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:01.37. Although he was shy of his own 2009 world record of 2:00.67 he did set a new World Cup record beating the time of 2:01.44 he posted in Eindhoven.

Gyurta Eindhoven – 27.96/58.94 (30.98)/1:29.90 (30.96)/2:01.44 (31.54)

Gyurta Berlin – 27.74/58.79 (30.96)/1:29.69 (30.99)/2:01.37 (31.68)

Gyurta World Record – 27.74/58.46 (30.72)/1:29.33 (30.87)/2:00.67 (31.34)

German Marco Koch finished second in a time of 2:02.50 followed by Michael Jamieson of Great Britain who finished third in a time of 2:03.04.

Men’s 100 IM

The men’s 100 IM was a tremendous race between Russian Vlad Morozov and 2012 World Cup series Champion Australian Kenneth To. To took the first 50 out in a time of 23.10 ahead of Morozov who turned in a time of 23.41. Morozov overtook To in the second half of the race winning by eight one-hundredths of a second posting a time of 51.13.

To finished second setting a new Australian record of 51.21. George Bovell of Trinidad and Tobago finished third in a time of 51.65.

Women’s 200 backstroke

Ukrainian Daryna Zevina won the 200 backstroke in a time of 2:00.81 destroying her own national record of 2:01.97. Unlike some athletes who appear to be tiring as the week goes on Zevina improved her winning time of 2:02.04 from Eindhoven by 1.23 seconds.

Australian Belinda Hocking, who tied with teammate Emily Seebohm for the silve in Eindhoven, finished second in a time of 2:01.89. Seebohm finished third in a time of 2:02.97.

Men’s 50 butterfly

South African Roland Schoeman won his second event of the evening winning the 50 butterfly in a time of 22.05. German Steffen Deibler finished second in a time of 22.14 followed by Chad le Clos who finished third posting a time of 22.53.

Mixed 4 x 50 Medley Relay

The Australian’s took the mixed 4 x 50 medley relay in a time of 1:40.95 followed by the Canadians who finished second posting a time of 1:42.02.

The second Canadian team took the bronze in a time of 1:42.18.