The defending World Champion Sarah Sjostrom has raced to a world-leader in the women’s 100 fly to kick off Italy’s Sette Colli Trophy.
The meet, which is one of the major European competitions every year, has diverted some of the big stars from the Mare Nostrum stop that begins in Barcelona on Saturday, and most notable among those performers on the meet’s first day was Sjostrom. She swam a 56.50 in the 100 fly.
2014 LCM Women 100 Fly TYR World Ranking
SJOSTROM
56.50
View Top 51»2 Jeanette
OTTESEN GRAYDEN 56.51 08/22 3 Xinyi
CHENCHN 56.61*JWR 09/23 4 Katarine
SAVARDCAN 57.27 04/04 5 Inge
DEKKERNED 57.32 07/11
That swim also broke the Championship Record, and beat out easily two other very, very good swims. Italy’s Elena Di Liddo was a 57.73 for 2nd, and the Netherlands’ Inge Dekker was 3rd in 57.82.
For Sjostrom, that’s the fastest she’s ever been in textile, and faster than the time with which she won last year’s World Championship. Once with the weight of being a “suit swimmer” (she set the World Record in 2009 at 16 in polyurethane), there was a huge relief in her face after winning the world title last year, and she now seems ready to unleash even more impressive times.
That was one of two wins on the day for Sjostrom, who was as hot-as-can-be. She also swam a 24.36 in the 50 free, beating out the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo (24.61) and Femke Heemskerk (24.84).
Meanwhile, Hungarian Katinka Hosszu was 8th in the final of that 100 fly after being 4th in prelims, which is a pattern we’ve seen from her over the last week across three meets in shorter events. Instead, her focus has been on the longer races, and she went for another very good time in the 400 free: 4:05.92. That’s just shy of the lifetime best she swam in Monaco, but is a second time under 4:06 in a week.
Lithuanian Giedrius Titenis took down a Meet Record in the men’s 100 breaststroke, going 59.75 for the win. That broke the 59.95 done by Fabio Scozzoli in 2013 as the new Sette Colli standard. It also beat Hungary’s Daniel Gyurta (1:00.32) and Germany’s Marco Koch 91:00.55) for the gold medal.
Further down in the rankings was South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh, the World Record holder in the event, in 6th with a 1:01.74.
Other noteworthy wins:
- Sweden’s Jennie Johansson won the women’s 100 breaststroke in a season-best of 1:07.14. She beat out Netherlands’ best Moniek Nijhuis (1:07.78).
- Italy went 1-2 in the men’s 50 free, with Marco Orsi (22.22) pulling away from Luca Dotto (22.46) for the win.
- Paul Biedermann went a solid, but not overwhelming, 3:48.70 to win the men’s 400 free. He beat Italy’s Gabriele Detti 93:49.43) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (3:50.48).
Full, live meet results available here.
Summarized top 3 finishers below:
50 back F
1. Simona Baumretova (Cze) 28″56
2. Elena Gemo (Ita) 28″58
3. Arianna Barbieri (Ita) 28″63
50 back M
1. Niccolò Bonacchi (Ita) 25″31
2. Stefamo Mauro Pizzamiglio (Ita) 25″39
3. Simone Sabbioni (Ita) 25″51
400 free F
1. Katinka Hosszu (Hun) 4’05″92
2. Boglara Kapas (Hun) 4’07″13
3. Aurora Ponselè (Ita) 4’07″62
400 free M
1. Paul Biedermann (Ger) 3’48″70
2. Gabriele Detti (Ita) 3’49″43
3. Gregorio Paltrinieri (Ita) 3’50″48
100 breast F
1. Jennie Johansson (Swe) 1’07″14
2. Moniek Nijhuis (Ned) 1’07″78
3. Michela Guzzetti (Ita) 1’08″31
100 breast M
1. Giedrius Titenis (Lit) 59″75 rec. man.
2. Daniel Gyurta (Hun) 1’00″32
3. Marco KOch (Ger) 1’00″55
100 fly F
1. Sarah Sjoestroem (Swe)56″50 rec. man.
2. Elena Di Liddo (Ita) 57″73
3. Inge Dekker (Ned) 57″82
100 fly M
1. Bence Pulai (Hun) 52″59
2. Evgeny Korotyshkin (Rus) 52″63
2. Piero Codia (Ita) 52″63
50 free F
1. Sarah Sjoestroem (Swe) 24″36
2. Ranomi Kromowidjodjo (Ned) 24″61
3. Femke Heemskerk (Ned) 24″84
50 free M
1. Marco Orsi (Ita) 22″22
2. Luca Dotto (Ita) 22″46
3. Odyssefs Meladinis (Gre) 22″52
800 free M
1. Gregorio Paltrinieri (Ita) 7’52″44
2. Gabriele Detti (Ita) 7’56″69
3. Gergo Kis (Hun) 7’58″03
1500 free F
1. Sarah Kohler (Ger) 16’29″96
2. Martina Caramignoli (Ita) 16’33″12
3. Rachele Bruni (Ita) 16’35″56
I’m beginning to believe Sarah is capable of breaking a 56-second barrier.
I don’t know anyone who ever labeled Sjoestrom as a “suit swimmer”.
Although she broke WR in Rome in shiny suit, it was clear to everyone who know swimming that she was hugely talented.
The huge relief in 2013 was not because she finally shrugged off the label as “suit swimmer”, but it was more of her finally realizing potential and fulfilling expectations after near misses in 2011 and 2012.
It’s similar to the relief you can clearly see in Campbell’s face after winning 100 free last year. Not because she was shrugging off the “suit swimmer” label, but because she finally can show the world what she is capable of after three years of health related… Read more »
I think you mean Annamay Pierse 🙂
She did catch dengue fever at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 which badly affected her for a couple of years so it’s hard to know what she could have done healthy in textile.
I have to agree about Aschwin, who of course is very well known to us in Denmark through his father, and he trained here for several years. It’s a shame as he is a talented swimmer but over the last few years he really hasn’t lived up to his potential. I don’t know if he is retired now or not, I think he has been in Australia for a while.
I think he means Nadja Higl of Serbia, the 2009 World Champion in the 200 breaststroke (2:21.62). Who? Exactly.
Yes you’re right of course, no wonder I didn’t remember 🙂 I thought of Annamay Pierse as she set the WR in the semi.
Yes, Nadja Higl. Annamay Pierse us very talented in my opinion.
She’s been so good this year. Hopefully she keeps improving as we approach Rio. If Vollmer is in top form as well, the women’s 100 fly will be a hell of a battle (although I haven’t heard much of her in the past few months, so who can say if that will happen). If not, I think Sjostrom is going to run away with the gold.