By Craig Lord
ANTWERP, Belgium, Dec 14. THE first sub 50-second 100 meter fly swim is in sight!
Asked how much pain he felt, Thomas Rupprath, of Germany, found the strength to smile and murmur "too
much" after he had clocked a world record of 50.26 seconds to beat the man who had held the standard at 50.44, Lars Frolander, of Sweden, on the second day of the European Short Course Championships.
Frolander was second in 50.58 with Britain's James Hickman third in 51.32. They lost the race with Rupprath when the German turned just ahead of the Swede in 23.52 and emerged from his turn head and shoulders ahead.
Rupprath, who also holds the 200m short-course world record, said: "I didn't expect to beat Frolander so I'm pleased with this. Of course, I'm very pleased with the world record – it shows I'm in perfect condition."
Rupprath's was one of three victories for Germany. Anne Poleska, a student at the University of Alabama, won the 200m breaststroke in a European record of 2:21.93, 0.97sec inside the standard at which she had held the record since the World Cup in New York last month. In second, Mirna Jukic, 15, of Austria, also swam inside the previous record time, with a 2:22.26 effort, with Emma Igelstrom, the Swede who equaled the world record over 50 meters on Thursday, third in 2:23.36.
Ilona Hlavackova, of the Czech Republic, set the second European record of the day when she won the 100m backstroke in 57.75sec, the gain over Sara Price, of Britain, second in 59.46sec, almost all achieved at the start of the race and partly achieved in a set of magnificent turns.
Hlavackova's time was the second fastest in history, bettered only by the WR 57.08 set two weeks ago by the USA's Natalie Coughlin.
Stev Theloke added to German joy with a championship record of 23.97 seconds in the 50m backstroke final. His was one of several championship records.
Flavia Rigamonti, of Switzerland, established one at 8mins 17.20sec in the 800 meter freestyle, the fourth fastest ever over the distance. If that was impressive, then the girl in lane eight, 16-year-old Anja Carnan, of Slovenia, made as big an impact with a European Short Course debut of 8:20.31 for the silver medal. The bronze medal went to Irina Oufimtseva, of Russia, in 8:23.28.
Alessio Boggiatto, the world long course champion over 400m individual medley, set a championship record of 4:06.99 to win his best event, but the revelation in the race was Britain's 19-year-old Robin Francis, who wiped more than 5 seconds off his national record to take the silver medal in 4:08.49 for the silver medal ahead of Jacob Carstensen of Denmark in 4:08.58.
Inge de Bruijn, of the Netherlands, established a championship record of 52.65sec with victory in the 100m freestyle over Slovakian Martina Moravcova's 52.97.
Sweden went one-two in the women's 50m fly with Therese Alshammar taking the measure of WR-holder Anna-Karin Kammerling, 25.73 to 25.88. Kammerling's record of 25.36 was not challenged.
RESULTS
European Short Course Swimming Championships
Antwerp, Belgium
DAY TWO: December 14, 2001
25 meter pool
Women's 200 meter breaststroke
1. Anne Poleska (GER)) 2:21.93 ER
2. Mirna Jukic (AUT) 2:22.26
3. Emma Igelstrom (SWE) 2:23.36
4. Sara Nordenstam (SWE) 2:25.35
5. Heidi Earp (GBR) 2:25.36
6. Simona Drozdova (CZE) 2:26.95
7. Natalia Hissamutdinova (EST) 2:27.24
8. Michelle Vlasakova (CZE) 2:29.85
Women's 100 meter freestyle
1. Inge De Bruijn (NED) 52.65
2. Martina Moravcova (SVK) 52.97
3. Johanna Sjoeberg (SWE) 53.01
4. Petra Dallman (GER) 53.73
5. Solenne Figues (FRA) 54.10
6. Elena Popchenko (BLR) 54.64
7. Jana Myskova (CZE) 54.97
8. Rosalind Brett (GBR) 55.55
Women's 100 meter backstroke
1. Ilona Hlavackova (CZE) 0:57.75 ER
2. Sarah Price (GBR) 0:59.46
3. Janine Pietsch (GER) 0:59.79
4. Anu Koivisto (FIN) 1:00.07
5. Louise Ornstedt (DEN) 1:00.18
6. Nina Zhivanevskaya (ESP) 1:00.19
7. Aleksandra Miciul (POL) 1:00.94
8. Alessandro Cappa (ITA) 1:01.20
Women's 50 meter butterfly
1. Therese Alshammar (SWE) 25.73
2. Anna-Karin Kammerling (SWE) 25.88
3. Natalia Soutiaguina (RUS) 27.25
4. Inge Dekker (NED) 27.32
5. Rosalind Brett (GBR) 27.34
6. Otylia Jedrzejczak (POL) 27.39
7. Fabienne Dufour (BEL) 27.48
8. Karen Egdal (DEN) 27.61
Men's 400 meter individual medley
1. Alessio Boggiatto (ITA) 4:06.99
2. Robin Francis (GBR) 4:08.49
3. Jacob Carstensen (DEN) 4:08.58
4. Pierre Henri (FRA) 4:09.03
5. Nicolas Rostoucher (FRA) 4:09.14
6. Yves Platel (SUI) 4:11.70
7. Michael Halika (ISR) 4:11.73
8. Alexei Kovriguine (RUS) 4:19.73
Men's 100 meter breaststroke
1. Oleg Lisogor (UKR) 0:59.02
2. James Gibson (GBR) 0:59.23
3. Daniel Malek (CZE) 0:59.51
4. Darren Mew (GBR) 0:59.59
5. Jarno Pihlava (FIN) 0:59.82
6. Jose Couto (POR) 0:59.92
7. Tony De Pellegrini (FRA) 1:00.23
8. Martin Gustavsson (SWE) 1:00.27
Men's 100 meter butterfly
1. Thomas Rupprath (GER) 50.26 WR
2. Lars Froelander (SWE) 50.58
3. James Hickman (GBR) 51.32
4. Lars Conrad (GER) 51.75
5. Zsolt Gaspar (HUN) 52.01
6. Joris Keizer (NED) 52.05
7. Denys Sylantyev (UKR) 52.31
8. Tero Valimaa (FIN) 52.38
Women's 800 meter freestyle
1. Flavia Rigamonti (SUI) 8:17.20
2. Anja Carnan (SLO) 8:20.31
3. Irina Oufimitseva (RUS) 8:23.28
4. Rebecca Cooke (GBR) 8:28.00
5. Chantal Strasser (SUI) 8:32.42
6. Marianna Lymberta (GRE) 8:33.85
7. Angelika Oleksy (POL) 8:35.78
8. Jana Henke (GER) 8:36.01
Men's 50 meter backstroke
1. Stev Theloke (GER) 23.97
2. Ante Maskovic (CRO) 24.53
3. Peter Mankoc (SLO) 24.54
4. Darius Grigalionis (LTU) 24.73
5. Gregor Tait (GBR) 24.74
6. Vladislav Aminov (RUS) 24.76
7. Jakob Andersen (DEN) 24.80
8. Przemyslaw Wilant (POL) 24.92
Women's 4 x 50 meter freestyle relay
1. Sweden (Cathrine Carlsson, Johanna Sjoeberg, Therese Alshammar, Anna-Karin Kammerling)
1:38.29
2. Netherlands (Suze Valen, Hinkelinen Schrueder, Annabel Kosten, Inge De Bruijn) 1:39.02
3. Germany (Petra Dallman, Ann-Christian Langmaack, Katrin Meissner, Janine Pietsch) 1:39.60
4. Britain (Sarah Whewell, Nicola Jackson, Vicky Cook, Rosalind Brett) 1:40.95
5. Finland (Hanna-Maria Seppala, Marja Heikkila, Rikka Majander, Anu Koivistu) 1:41.16
6. Belgium (Nina Van Koeckhoven, Sofie Goffin, Fabienne Dufour, Tine Bossuyt) 1:42.17
7. France (Solenne Figues, Aurore Mongel, Malia Metella, Alicia Bozon 1:43.38
8. Greece (Zambia Melachroinou, Aikaterini Sarakatsani, Zoi Dimoschaki, Nery Niagouara)
1:44.88