Day Two In Dubai

Men’ 1500 freestyle

Italian Gregorio Paltriieri took the first event of the evening winning the men’s 1500 freestyle in a time of 14:36.25. This was Paltriieri’s third World Cup 1500 freestyle win this year having taken the event in both Eindhoven and Berlin. In Eindhoven he set a new World Cup record of 14:27.65.

Paltriieri and South African Devon Brown raced head to head until the 1000 meter mark when the Italian separated himself from the field. Brown then had to contend with 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Ous Mellouli of Tunisia who took over the second position in the race passing Brown at the 1350 mark.

Mellouli finished second in a time of 14:41.79 followed by Brown who finished third posting a 14:43.86.

Women’s 400 IM

Hungarian Katinka Hosszu started out another marathon night by winning gold in the women’s 400 IM taking the event in a time of 4:29.09, improving on the 4:30.65 she posted winning the event in Moscow.

Katinka Hosszu

Hosszu was challenged by Miyu Otsuka of Japan in the first 300 meters after which point Otsuka fell back dramatically at the same time as Spaniard Mireia Belmonte began to surge.

Belmonte had enough to over take Otsuka, but ran out of pool before catching Hosszu. Belmonte collected the silver in a time of 4:30.05 while Otsuka finished third in a time of 4:30.74.

Women’s 100 freestyle

The women’s 100 freestyle was an incredible race between Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Federike Heemskerk and Jeanette Ottesen Gray. Ottesen Gray showed early speed leading at the 50 turn in a time of 25.37,  Kromowidjojo hit the wall in a time of 25.51 followed by Heemskerk who completed the first half of the race in a time of 25.55.

The second half belonged to the Olympic champion, Kromowidjojo, who touched the wall first recording a time of 52.48. This was the second win of the meet for the Dutch swimmer who has also collected three out of the four World Cup 100 freestyle titles this year.

Heemskerk was able to make her way past Ottesen Gray in the final 50 meters to finish second in a time of 52.79 while Ottesen Gray faded to third touching in a time of 52.85.

Men’s 200 freestyle

In what is proving to be a night of exciting racing the men’s 200 freestyle followed suit. Australian Robert Hurley lead the way from start to finish, but was challenged in the second half by both Devon Brown and Pawel Korzeniowski.

Robert Hurley

Hurley, who has had a very strong meet so far winning the 400 freestyle and finishing second in the 100 backstroke, took the 200 freestyle posting a time of 1:44.12. Brown who already collected a medal in the 1500 freestyle earlier in the evening finished second in a time of 1:44.81 followed by Korzeniowski who finished third recording a time of 1:44.97.

Women’s 50 breaststroke

Alia Atkinson of Jamaica surprised many yesterday winning the 100 breaststroke with relative ease, while at the same time challenging Ruta Meilutyte‘s world record. One of the people that may have been most surprised was Russian star Yulia

Efimova who finished over a second behind Atkinson.

Today Efimova, the world champion in both the 50 and 200 breaststroke, made sure the result of the 50 was a surprise to no one. Efimova took the event in a time of 29.27 followed by Atkinson who posted a 29.38.

Dorothea Brandt of Germany collected the bronze finishing in a time of 30.37.

Men’s 100 breaststroke

Australian Kenneth To began Friday evening in the same way that he finished on Thursday, standing on top of the medal podium. To, who won the 100 IM and finished second in the 100 freestyle yesterday, returned to the pool today to win the men’s 100 breaststroke in a time of 58.29.

Michael Jamieson, who won the 200 breaststroke on the first day of competition, finished second in a time of 58.70 while Slovakian Tomas Klobucnik finished third in a time of 59.23.

Men’s 100 butterfly

What were we saying about this night being field with exciting racing? Well the most thrilling finish so far came in the men’s 100 butterfly where American Tom Shields almost dethroned South African World Champion Chad le Clos. le Clos, who won both the 100 and 200 butterfly in Barcelona, took the first 50 meters out well ahead of the field turning in a time of 22.88, but Shields who hit the halfway point in a time of 23.20, owned the final 50 meters.

Shields surely thought he had done enough to catch le Clos, but ultimately finished just two one-hundredths of a second behind the South African. le Clos took the event in a time of 49.14 followed by Shields who posted a time of 49.16.

Konrad Czerniak of Poland finished third in a time of 50.27.

Women’s 100 backstroke

Sayaka Akase of Japan lead the women’s 100 backstroke from start to finish winning the event in a time of 57.24.

The real battle was for the remaining two medals as the silver and bronze medallists in the 50 backstroke went stroke for stroke. Australian Emily Seebohm turned at the 50 meter mark ahead of both Daryna Zevina of the Ukraine and Katinka Hosszu, but got all she could handle in the second half of the race.

Seebohm finished second in a time of 57.53 followed by Zevina who posted a 57.56. Unlike yesterday when Hosszu managed to hit the wall at the same time as Zevina, tying for the bronze, she finished just behind recording a time of 57.59.

Men’s 50 backstroke

Make it two for two on the evening for Australian Robert Hurley. After winning the 200 freestyle Hurley returned to the water to pick up another victory in the men’s 50 backstroke winning the event in a time of 23.31. Vlad Morozov collected a silver in his first event of the evening recording a time of 23.62.

Just as we saw in the women’s 50 backstroke there was a tie for the bronze in the men’s event. Australian Ashley Delaney and Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland hit the wall simultaneously both collecting a bronze with a finishing time of 23.75.

Women’s 200 butterfly

It was deja vu all over again as the same three women who stood on the medal podium in the 400 IM earlier in the evening took the same places once again in the women’s 200 butterfly. Katinka Hosszu and Mireia Belmonte were neck and neck for the entirety of the 200 with the largest margin separating the two being 27 one-hundredths of a second at the 100 meter mark.

Hosszu eventually collected her second win of the evening slightly out swimming Belmonte in the final 50 meters finishing in a time of 2:06.30. Belmonte finished second in a time of 2:06.39 followed by Miyu Otasuka of Japan who finished third posting a time of 2:07.02.

Men’s 200 IM

After suffering a scare in the 100 butterfly Chad le Clos made sure that it didn’t happen again in the men’s 200 IM winning his second event of the evening in a time of 1:53.21. Kenneth To collected his second piece of hardware of the evening finishing second in a time of 1:54.68 followed by Hungarian David Verraszto who finished third recording a 1:55.73.

Women’s 400 freestyle

The count is now three races and three second place finishes for 400 freestyle world record holder Mireia Belmonte of Spain. Unlike the 400 IM and 200 butterfly where Belmonte was not kept away from the gold by Katinka Hosszu, this time it was her fellow countrywoman Melani Costa who took the top prize.

Costa, who won the silver in the 400 freestyle in Barcelona, won the event in Dubai recording a time of 4:00.39. Belmonte whose feat of swimming three of the most gruelling races in an hour time span with success is impressive finished second in a time of 4:02.23.

Rieneke Terink of the Netherlands finished third in a time of 4:03.05.

Men’s 50 freestyle

Russian Vlad Morozov finished up his swept of the men’s sprint events winning the 50 freestyle with ease finishing in a time of 20.66. Morozov once again demonstrated his incredible starting speed leaving the block with a reaction time of 0.57. Veterans George Bovell III of Trinidad and Tobago and American Anthony Ervin battled it out for the silver with Bovell III finishing just ahead of Ervin touching in a time of 21.32.

Ervin finished third in a time of 21.34.

Women’s 200 breaststroke

The least compelling race of the evening saw Yulia Efimova win her second gold of the night winning the women’s 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:19.73. Sophie Allen of Great Britain finished over five seconds behind the Russian touching in a time

Yuliya Efimova (Photo Credit: Victor Puig)

of 2:24.85 followed by Moniek Nijhuis of the Netherlands who finished third posting a time of 2:25.42.

Women’s 100 IM

Just when you thought she didn’t have another trick up her sleeve Alia Atkinson pulled off another surprise win, this time over Katinka Hosszu in the 100 IM. Atkinson hit the wall first posting a time of 58.45 preventing Hosszu from collecting her third gold of the evening.

Hosszu finished second in a time of 58.55 followed by Emily Seebohm who finished third in a time of 59.23.

Men’s 200 backstroke

Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland took the men’s 200 backstroke easily winning the event in a time of 1:49.70. Kawecki, who finished second in Barcelona to American Ryan Lochte, picked up his third World Cup victory in the event adding to the gold he collected in both Eindhoven and Berlin.

Tom Shields continued collecting hardware winning his second silver of the evening posting a time of 1:52.26 followed by Australian Travis Mahoney who finished third in a time of 1:52.97.

Women’s 50 butterfly

The result of the final individual race of the evening was no surprise as world champion Jeanette Ottesen Gray collected her second medal of the evening, this time gold winning the 50 butterfly in a time of 25.03. Li Tao of Singapore finished second recording a time of 25.55 followed by Inge Dekker of the Netherlands who finished third in a time of 25.88.

4 x 50 freestyle mixed relay

The only world record to go down today was in the 4 x 50 mixed relay. In Moscow the Russians set a new world mark of 1:33.01 which was broken this evening by the Japanese relay made up of Sinri Shioura (21.63), Sayaka Akase (25.28), Kenta Ito (20.70) and Kanako Wantanbe (24.91) who won the event in a time of 1:32.52.

The Brazilian team was also under the old record posting a time of 1:32.95 and were followed by the Chinese who finished third in a time of 1:33.72.