CANET, France, June 10. THREE national records fell during the second day of long course meter swimming at the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum circuit. Representatives from Sweden, Mexico and Lithuania all set new marks.
Australia's Libby Trickett opened the night with a touch-out triumph over Sweden's Therese Alshammar 24.15 to 24.17, in the women's 50 free. Both times we're far off Marleen Veldhuis' world record of 23.96, while Alshammar broke her national record of 24.23 set in 2007. Trickett's came up short of her Australian standard of 23.97. Germany's Dorothea Brandt placed third in 24.75.
France's Fred Bousquet emerged from a pack of star sprinters with a winning time of 21.65 in the men's 50 free. The effort, while a meet record, missed his world record of 20.94. Brazil's Cesar Cielo finished a touch behind in second with a 21.66 – off his national record of 21.30. Australia's Eamon Sullivan placed third in 21.94, while Cullen Jones of the U.S. took fourth in 21.95.
Great Britain's Lizzie Simmonds captured the women's 200 back in 2:09.65 for the meet record. Alexianne Castel touched second in 2:12.26, while Mexico's Fernanda Gonzalez wound up third in 2:12.94. Gonzalez's time crushed her national record of 2:14.64 set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Russia's Stanislav Donets followed in the men's 200 back with a winning time of 2:00.73. South Africa's Charl Van Zyl placed second in 2:01.52, while Germany's Lucien Hassdenteufel took third in 2:03.61.
Russia's Yuliya Efimova held off Austria's Mirna Jukic, 1:07.54 to 1:08.10, for the women's 100 breast title. Joline Hostman rounded out the top three in 1:08.52.
Australia's Christian Sprenger then clocked a meet-record time of 1:00.40 in the men's 100 breast. Mark Gangloff of the U.S. claimed second in 1:01.68, while South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh finished third in 1:01.77.
Great Britain's Hannah Miley cruised in the women's 400 IM with a top time of 4:38.27. South Africa's Kathryn Meaklim checked in with a second-place time of 4:43.63, while Lara Grangeon finished third in 4:48.24.
Austria's Dinko Jukic paced the men's 400 IM finale with a victorious time of 4:18.69. Lithuania's Vytautas Janusaitis smashed his national record with a second-place effort of 4:19.65. That performance cleared his record of 4:22.04 set March 2008. Israel's Gal Nevo grabbed third in 4:20.66.
Australia's Felicity Galvez knocked off national record holder Trickett, 57.94 to 58.48, in the women's 100 fly. Galvez's readout now stands as the meet record. Fran Halsall finished third in 58.57.
Australia's Andrew Lauterstein followed in the men's 100 fly with a double progression of the meet record. First, he notched a 52.15 during prelims for the standard before winning the finale in 51.70. Russia's Nikolay Skvortsov finished second in 52.67 with South Africa's Darian Townsend taking third in 53.58.
Australia's Bronte Barrett downed Russia's Daria Belyakina, 1:59.33 to 1:59.41, in the women's 200 free. Miley also was in the mix with a third-place 1:59.64.
Russia's Alexander Sukhorukov touched out teammate Nikita Lobintsev, 1:46.81 to 1:46.90, for the men's 200 free crown. Ross Davenport completed the podium with a third-place 1:47.80.