By Phillip Whitten
LAUSANNE, Switzerland. Jan. 29. SLOVAKIA'S Martina Moravcova was easily the dominant swimmer on the 2000-2001 FINA World Cup tour which ended yesterday in Paris. The Southern Methodist University grad, who still trains in Dallas, finished first in eight events, earning $32,000. In previous World Cup competition, no swimmer had ever won more than five events.
FINA released the final rankings in the 10-venue World Cup short course series, in which, to be eligible, a swimmer had to compete in at least one meet in each "zone" — the Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe –to be eligible for the overall rankings and win prize money. Very few swimmers met that criterion and, as a result, no prize money was awarded in nine events.
Even more telling, full prize money–for first through third place–was awarded in only seven of 34 events. FINA's motive, which is to encourage top swimmers to compete in all three zones and make the tour truly a global event, is admirable. However, it is clear the criteria for being eligible to win overall prize money need to be revised. Traveling around the world for two months and competing in as many as ten two-day meets is both exhausting and expensive. It can also play havoc with a swimmer's training.
For each category the prize money was:
$4,000: first place
$2,000: second place
$1,000: third place
The USA's Amy Balcerzak, who graduated from North-western University last year, was the second most successful woman on the tour, winning thre events, finishing second in a fourth and third in a fifth to earn $15,000.
The winners:
MEN
Event Men
50m free No award
100m free 1. Bryan Jones (USA)
200m free No award
400m free No award
1,500m free No award
50m back 1. Sebastian Halgasch (GER)
2. Denis Pankratov (RUS)
100m back 1. Gordan Kozulj (CRO)
2. Sebastian Halgasch (GER)
200m back 1. Gordan Kozulj (CRO)
2. Sebastian Halgasch (GER)
50m breast 1. Morgan Knabe (CAN)
100m breast 1. Morgan Knabe (CAN)
2. Marcelo Tomazini (BRA)
2. Fabio Farabegoli (ITA)
200m breast 1. Fabio Farabegoli (ITA)
2. Morgan Knabe (CAN)
50m fly 1. Mike Mintenko (CAN)
2. Denis Pankratov (RUS)
3. Bryan Jones (USA)
100m fly 1. Mike Mintenko (CAN)
2. Denis Pankratov (RUS)
3. Bryan Jones (USA)
200m fly 1. Denis Pankratov (RUS)
100m IM 1. Jirka Letzin (GER)
2. Sebastian Halgasch (GER)
3. Jose de Souza (BRA)
200m IM 1. Jirka Letzin (GER)
2. Jose de Souza (BRA)
400m IM 1. Jirka Letzin (GER)
WOMEN
50m free 1. Martina Moravcova (SVK)
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN)
100m free 1. Martina Moravcova (SVK)
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN)
200m free 1. Martina Moravcova (SVK)
400m free No award
800m free No award
50m back 1. Martina Moravcova (SVK)
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN)
100m back 1. Martina Moravcova (SVK)
200m back No award
50m breast 1. Sylvia Gerasch (GER)
2. Amy Balcerzak (USA)
3. Sarah Poewe (SAF)
100m breast 1. Amy Balcerzak (USA)
2. Sarah Poewe (SAF)
3. Sylvia Gerasch (GER)
200m breast 1. Amy Balcerzak (USA)
2. Sarah Poewe (SAF)
50m fly 1. Martina Maracova (SVK)
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN)
100m fly 1. Martina Moravcova (SVK)
200m fly No award
100m IM 1. Martina Moravcova (SVK)
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN)
3. Amy Balcerzak (USA)
200m IM 1. Amy Balcerzak (USA)
400m IM No award