By Thomas Willdridge
SWANSEA, Great Britain, February 20. THE Welsh National Pool, filled with fans wearing red and green, made for a fantastic setting for a welcome return to head-to-head racing in Europe as the Duel in the Pool series featured Great Britain versus Germany. The meet took place in a long course meter pool.
Women's 50m Backstroke
Britain made a near perfect start by taking the top two spots through Lizzie Simmonds and Georgia Davies. Both swimmers were already half a body length up on the rest of the field at the 15-meter mark, with Simmonds showing her class to pull away in the final 15 meters to record a time of 28.66. Davies showed good early season form with a time of 29.02, a full second clear of Alexandra Wenk (GER) in third with 30.02.
Points after Event 1
GBR – 8
GER – 1
Men's 50m Backstroke
The British men provided a carbon copy of the women's race with world record holder Liam Tancock and teammate Matt Clay gaining a clear lead at the start of the race and finishing 1-2. Tancock looked strong as he came home in 24.92, just 0.12 seconds shy of Thomas Rupprath's previous world record set prior to the techsuit era at the 2003 World Championships. With six weeks until Britain's Commonwealth Games trials, Tancock looks set to dip under the German's time. Clay finished second in 25.86, with Lucien Hassdenteufel, 19, third in 26.88
Points after Event 2
GBR – 16
GER – 2
Women's 400m IM
On paper, this looked like one of the closest races of the day, however, talented Aimee Willmott, 17, led Great Britain to a 1-2-3 finish, capping a fantastic start for the British team. Wilmott turned fourth after the butterfly leg, but used her strong backstroke to gain a 5.75 seconds lead after 200 meters, before swimming to victory in 4:44.45. Anne Bochmann (4:49.91) and Emma Smithurst (4:52.51) completed Britain's sweep of the points after Nina Schiffer was disqualified for an illegal butterfly kick after originally finishing third.
Points after Event 3
GBR – 25
GER – 2
Men's 400m IM
The 400 IM saw Wales' Commonwealth record holder Thomas Haffield give his home crowd a great display of racing. He won a close race in a time of 4:21.32 from teammate Joe Roebuck, who finished in second with 4:22.41. Roebuck had led the race from the start until a strong breaststroke saw Haffield edge in front at the 300-meter mark. Roebuck then regained the lead with 50 meters to go and looked to have sown up the race before Haffield found another gear in the final 50 meters. Yannick Lebherz took third in 4:24.29 to avoid a second straight sweep for Britain.
Points after Event 4
GBR – 33
GER – 3
Women's 50m Breaststroke
Germany appeared to strike back with a 1-2-3 of their own in the 50m breaststroke; however a timing pad malfunction later revealed that Lowri Tynan won the race in 32.18. In a blanket finish, Germany took second and third through Janne Schaefer (32.21) and Kerstin Vogel (32.32).
Points after Event 5
GBR – 38
GER – 7
Men's 50m Breaststroke
Hendrik Feldwehr looked in great shape as he set a 2010 world leading time of 28.16 in the 50m breaststroke. Feldwehr, 23, who had the world's third-fastest time of 2009 in this event, gave Germany a much-needed victory. Dan Sliwinski (28.94) and Darren Mew (28.95) made sure that Germany only gained a point on the British team.
Points after Event 6
GBR – 42
GER – 12
Women's 100m Freestyle
World silver medallist Francesca Halsall showed what excellent form by storming to victory in the 100m freestyle with an impressive time of 54.52. Britta Steffen unfortunately had to pull out of this event due to illness. Halsall's time now leads the world this year by a clear 0.87 seconds. The race for second was won by Germany's Daniela Schreiber (55.83) just touching out Britain's Amy Smith (55.94).
Points after Event 7
GBR – 48
GER – 15
Men's 100m Freestyle
The men's 100m freestyle gave the world of swimming its first chance to see Paul Biedermann race in 2010 and he didn't disappoint. After a sluggish-looking start, Biedermann found himself fifth at 50-meter mark, but showed his strength in the second 50 meters coming back in an impressive 25.01 to record victory in a final time of 49.78. Biedermann said after the race that he had lost 1.5kg in weight and it was obvious to see that he was in great shape. He will head out with the rest of the German team soon to Tenerife for an intensive training camp. Steffen Diebler came home second in 50.05, with the early-leader Grant Turner finishing third in 50.23.
Points after Event 8
GBR – 49
GER – 23
Women's 200m Backstroke
Lizzie Simmonds showed once again what good early season form she is in by winning the 200m backstroke in 2:07.57. Simmonds went out hard turning at 30.26 after 50 meters and 1:02.04 at the 100-meter mark. This searing pace saw her turn 0.17 seconds under Anastasia Zueva's European record pace at 100-meter mark.
Simmonds couldn't hang on to this pace in the second half of the race but still finished in a fast 2:07.57. She now owns the top two times in the world this year in this event after swimming 2:06.90 at last week's British University Championships. Germany's Jenny Mensing took a distant second in 2:14.62 with Britain's Georgia Davies taking third in 2:16.10.
Points after Event 9
GBR – 55
GER – 26
Men's 200m Backstroke
Germany finally recorded the 1-2-3 they thought they had earlier in the night through Lucien Hassdenteufel (2:01.85), Yannick Lebherz (2:020.10) and Felix Wolf (2:02.62). Britain's sole competitor in this race Christopher Walker Hebborn held a healthy lead at 100m but watched the three Germans claw him back and take all the points.
Points after Event 10
GBR – 55
GER – 35
Women's 100m Butterfly
Great Britain doused German spirits hitting back with a 1-2-3 of their own in the women's 100m butterfly. Jessica Sylvester had the strongest start and turn of the race and this proved to be enough to take the victory in 1:01.30, despite the fast finishing of Jessica Dickons (1:01.47) and Louise Pate (1:02.01)
Points after Event 11
GBR – 64
GER – 35
Men's 100m Butterfly
Despite the absence of Michael Rock, Great Britain's top swimmer in this event, Antony James was able to fly the flag for Britain to take the top spot in 54.32. James had a strong second 50-meter split of 28.29 to get past the early leader, Britain's James Doolan. Germany's Toni Embacher and Johannes Dietrich also finished strongly taking second and third in 55.04 and 55.35 respectively.
Points after Event 12
GBR – 69
GER – 39
Women's 200m Breaststroke
Germany's Caroline Ruhnau showed good strength to come from behind to take a much-needed victory for Germany. Britain's Charlotte Barnes, 18, led for most of the race but was unable to hold off the German's challenge. Ruhnau won in 2:30.70 with Barnes taking second in 2:31.12 and Britain's Georgia Holderness in third with a time of 2:35.36
Points after Event 13
GBR – 73
GER – 44
Men's 200m Breaststroke
Britain's Michael Jamieson looked the class act of the field as he swam away to an impressive victory in a time of 2:13.29. Jamieson's effort trails only Eric Shanteau (USA) and Kosuke Kitajima (JAP) so far this year and the 21-year-old showed strong technique throughout the race. Germany's Marco Koch had clear water between first and third finishing in second with 2:16.40 with Johannes Neumann showing good fight to pick up the final point with a time of 2:21.09.
Points after Event 14
GBR – 78
GER – 48
Women's 400m Freestyle
The swim of the evening came from British swimmer Jazz Carlin, 19, who won in a time of 4:06.41 beating last year's World Championship silver medallist Jo Jackson (4:08.64) and 2008 Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington (4:10.17). Carlin, who trains in Swansea under Bud McAllister, stayed with her esteemed teammates for 150 meters before deciding to make her move.
Swimming from lane 7, she piled the pressure on Jackson and Adlington and finally broke them at 300 meters. Despite a noticeably shorter stroke on the last 50 meters, she held on superbly to win in a time just 0.22 seconds shy of her best, set last year.
Carlin's time places her clear at the top of this year's world rankings and announced her arrival on the international stage. McAllister, who used to train Janet Evans, compared Carlin favorably to the American great after the race saying that they shared a common mental toughness that was hard to find these days before adding that he hasn't been as excited about a swimmer as he is with Carlin for a long time.
Carlin herself was pleased by the swim, and being relatively small in stature added that she didn't notice a huge difference wearing the new 2010 suits.
Points after Event 15
GBR – 87
GER – 48
Men's 400m Freestyle
This event saw Paul Biedermann return to the pool for the second time in the afternoon, and he swam comfortably at the head of the race for 350 meters before unleashing an impressive last 50-meter time of 26.67 to end up with a final time of 3:52.76. This blazing last 50 was more than three seconds faster than the race leader at 350m, Robbie Renwick. Biedermann's teammate Christian Kubusch came home second in 3:55.74 who touched out Renwick by 0.01 seconds who finished with a time of 3:55.75.
Points after Event 16
GBR – 88
GER – 56
Women's 400 Medley Relay
Lizzie Simmonds was back in sparkling form as she gave Great Britain a lead of more than 10 meters after the backstroke leg of the final women's event of day one. Simmonds split in a time of 59.90, and the rest of the team held this lead for the duration of the race finishing in 4:03.72. Lowri Tynan's breaststroke leg (1:09.69), Fran Halsall's fly (58.36) and Amy Smith on the freestyle (55.77) completed the team's effort. Germany, who badly missed Britta Steffen and Daniela Samulski, finished well back in 4:11.64.
Points after Event 17
GBR – 95
GER – 56
Men's 400m Medley Relay
Great Britain ended the meet on a high after beating Germany, the World Silver medallist's from Rome last year in the final event of day one. Liam Tancock handed Britain an impressive lead of 2.68 seconds after a time of 54.31 in the backstroke. Britain's lead was eaten into after impressive breaststroke and butterfly legs from Hendrik Feldwehr (1:01.30) and Steffen Deibler (52.59), respectively. Going into the final leg the 100m freestyle winner from earlier that evening, Paul Biedermann, seemed to have a great shot at overhauling the British team. However, a great takeover and first 50 meters from Britain's Grant Turner proved to be enough to break Biedermann with Britain taking the seven points on offer for the relay in 3:39.88. Germany came in second with 3:41.78
Points standing after Day One
GBR – 102
GER – 56
Thomas Willdridge is a former Great Britain junior team member swimmer for Nova Centurion. He owns and operates the Speed Endurance swimming blog.