Captured and edited by Mitch Bowmile
Reported by Loretta Race
WOMEN’S 100 FREE
Setting the water on fire at her 2nd Duel in the Pool was red-shirt Stanford Cardinal and USA National Teamer Simone Manuel. The Netherlands’ 2012 Olympic double gold medalist, Ranomi Kromowidjojo led for the first 50 of the race, splitting 24.83 and USA’s Lia Neal was on her heels, splitting 24.96 for the only 2 sub-25-second splits of the first half of the race.
But, Manuel turned it on to surge into the lead, splitting 26.69 to Neal’s 27.12 and Kromowidjojo’s 27.45 to take the win in a new American Record of 51.69. Prior to tonight, Manuel’s personal best was 52.83, so the 19-year-old smashed that en route to collecting 5 points for the United States.
Neal was able to push through to the wall for second place tonight, registering a time of 52.08, while Dutch speed demon Kromowidjojo held on for 3rd in 52.28. After this event, score is 17 points USA to 10 points Team Europe.
WOMEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY
The U.S. women finished the night in dramatic fashion, winning a 4×100 medley relay that saw both teams break the world record. Courtney Bartholomew, Katie Meili, Kelsi Worrell and Simone Manuel combined to go 3:45.20, getting under the 3:45.56 mark set in 2011 by Team USA.
Compared to the Europeans, it was Meili (1:02.88) and Manuel (51.23) who outsplit their counterparts, though current ACC stars Bartholomew (56.08) and Worrell (55.01) held their own.
Euope went 3:45.46, also getting under the old world record. Katinka Hosszu (55.71 back) and Jeanette Ottesen (54.88 fly) had the fastest splits of their strokes, and Yulya Efimova (1:03.36 breast) and Ranomi Kromowidjojo (51.51 free) rounded out the relay.