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SINGAPORE, November 21. THE first day of finals at the FINA World Cup stop hosted in Singapore featured a few World Cup records as well as an American mark by Whitney Myers.
Women's 800 free
Australia's Blair Evans opened the evening with a victory in the women's distance event. Evans clocked a time of 8:17.21 to emerge triumphant. South Africa's Kathryn Meaklim and Hong Kong's Stephanie Au tied for second with matching 8:25.47s. Meaklim dropped her national mark of 8:25.53 set in 2008, while Au crushed her national record of 8:38.64 set last year as well.
Men's 100 free
Australia's Matt Abood hit the wall in 45.46 for the victory, lowering his Australian record of 46.06 and the World Cup mark of 45.54 previously held by Stefan Nystrand. South Africa's Darian Townsend finished second in 46.63, while Australia's Mitchell Patterson completed the top three in 46.91.
Women's 200 free
In an exciting finish, Sweden's Petra Grandlund surfaced from the event with a 1:54.76. The Netherlands' Inge Dekker took second in 1:54.80, while Great Britain's Fran Halsall placed third in 1:54.84.
Men's 50 breast
South Africa's Roland Schoeman continued to prove that he can sprint anything. Over the World Cup circuit, Schoeman has put together some strong swims in all the sprint events, including winning the sprint breast today with a 25.58. Compatriot and world record holder Cameron van der Burgh settled for second with a 25.76, while Brazil's Felipe Da Silva finished third in 25.88.
Women's 100 breast
With everyone expecting an epic duel between Jessica Hardy of the U.S. and Lethal Leisel Jones of Australia, Sarah Katsoulis had different plans for those in attendance. After watching Hardy go out in 29.60, Katsoulis overtook Hardy down the stretch with a winning time of 1:03.73. Hardy wound up taking second overall in 1:03.87, while Jones faded to third in 1:04.30.
Men's 400 IM
Swimming out of lane one, Tunisia's Ous Mellouli checked in with a 4:05.79 for the win in the distance medley event. Japan's Tomohisa Honzaki touched out South Africa's Jay-Cee Thomson, 4:06.96 to 5:06.97, for second-place overall.
Women's 100 fly
Australia's Felicity Galvez claimed the event title with a time of 56.07, while Great Britain's Fran Halsall took second in 56.91. Halsall just missed Jemma Lowe's 2008 national record of 56.84. Australia's Jessicah Schipper wound up third in 57.55.
Men's 100 back
Brazil's Guilherme Guido touched out Peter Marshall of the U.S., 49.63 to 49.67, in the 100 back for the win. Guido smashed his national record of 51.04 from 2008 in the process. Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin took third in 50.09. Notably, Aaron Peirsol finished back in sixth with a 50.68.
Women's 50 back
Australia's Emily Seebohm picked up the victory in the sprint back event with a 26.55, touching out compatriot Marieke Guehrer (26.57). The Netherlands' Hinkelien Schreuder rounded out the top three in 26.70.
Men's 200 fly
Japan's Kazuya Kaneda just missed the Japanese record in the event with a 1:51.54. Ryuichi Shibata's 1:51.30 from 2007 remained on the books. Australia's Nick D'Arcy finished second in 1:51.99, while his teammate Lachlan Staples placed third in 1:54.70.
Women's 200 IM
Whitney Myers of the U.S. downed the American record in the event with a sterling time of 2:06.20. That effort cleared the 2:06.49 set by Julia Smit in Toronto last year, and just missed Evelyn Verraszto's world record of 2:06.01. South Africa's Kathryn Meaklim touched second in 2:08.39, while Australia's Emily Seebohm took third in 2:08.39.
Men's 400 free
Tunisia's Ous Mellouli won the men's middle distance free event with a time of 3:39.18, downing Australia's Robert Hurley, who claimed second overall in 3:39.42. South Africa's Jay-Cee Thomson finished third in 3:41.09.
Women's 50 free
Sweden's Therese Alshammar came up just short of Marleen Veldhuis' world record of 23.25 with a winning time of 23.27. That performance wiped out Alshammar's circuit record of 23.34 set during the Berlin stop. The Netherlands' Hinkelien Schreuder claimed second in 23.53, while Lara Jackson of the U.S. completed the podium with a 24.04.
Men's 200 breast
Australia's Christian Sprenger took home the title with a time of 2:02.65, while South Africa's Neil Versfeld touched just behind in 2:02.68. Japan's Yuta Suenaga placed third overall in 2:04.43.
Men's 100 IM
South Africa's Darian Townsend cruised to victory in the sprint medley with a time of 52.11. Australians Daniel Arnamnart (54.17) and Leith Brodie (54.35) completed the top three.
Women's 200 back
Great Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds easily won the event with a time of 2:01.48. That readout beat her national mark of 2:02.01 set at the Stockholm stop. South Africa's Mandy Loots placed a distant second in 2:05.01, lowering her national record of 2:05.09 set in Berlin. Whitney Myers of the U.S. finished third in 2:06.22.
Men's 50 fly
Brazil's Nicholas Dos Santos clipped his national mark with a time of 22.16. The swim edged his previous record of 22.17 set in Berlin. South Africa's Roland Schoeman touched second in 22.27, while Australia's Geoff Huegill took third in 22.50.