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SHENZHEN, China, August 14. A meet record took a tumble during the first night of long course meter action at the World University Games being held in Shenzhen, China this summer.
Australia's Cate Campbell (55.26), Alice Mills (55.35), Jessica Morrison (55.82) and Marieke Guehrer (53.60) downed the meet record in the women's 400 free relay with a 3:40.03 for the win. That swim eclipsed the 3:40.85 set by the U.S. back in 2007. The U.S. foursome of Kate Dwelley (55.22), Felicia Lee (55.38), Shannon Vreeland (55.46) and Megan Romano (54.13) had its chances, but fell just .16 seconds short with a 3:40.19 for second. China's Zhu Qianwei (55.31), Lu Ying (55.94), Liu Jing (55.67) and Tang Yi (53.37) wound up taking third in 3:40.29 to produce an exciting podium finish. Liu is coming off a warning for a positive doping test for prednisone as the Chinese National Championships in April.
China's Lu Ying just missed the meet record in the women's 50 fly with a winning time of 25.98. Belarus' Svetlana Khokhlova's 25.97 from 2009 remained in the record books. Lu came up short of her eighth-ranked season best of 25.87 set at Worlds in Shanghai. Australia's Marieke Guehrer took second in 26.24, while teammate Alice Mills earned third in 26.53. Both Guehrer (26.12) and Mills (26.43) have been faster this year.
Hungary's Laszlo Cseh turned in a 1:55.87 to capture the men's 200 fly title, just overtaking USA's Bobby Bollier (1:56.06) in the final 50 meters, 29.75 to 30.56. Cseh's time moved him to 13th in the world rankings, while Bollier improved to 15th in the world with his effort. Japan's Hidemasa Sano clinched third overall in 1:56.81, just off his 20th-ranked season best of 1:56.33 from April.
New Zealand's Glenn Snyders and Lithuania's Giedrius Titenis tied for the men's 200 breast title with matching 2:10.85s. While Titenis has been faster this year with a ninth-ranked 2:10.33 from Worlds, Snyders improved to 15th in the world with his swim for a new New Zealand record. Japan's Kazuki Otsuka rounded out the podium with a bronze-winning 2:10.96, well off his sixth-ranked season best of 2:09.94 from April.
New Zealand's Lauren Boyle gave her country a second consecutive gold medal with a winning time of 8:26.30 in the women's 800 free. That performance put her 10th in the world this year, and smashed her previous New Zealand record of 8:28.50 from Worlds in Shanghai. USA's Haley Anderson placed second in 8:27.11 to take 13th in the world rankings, and third amongst Americans behind Kate Ziegler (8:23.36) and Chloe Sutton (8:24.05). Spain's Melania Costa Schmid wound up taking third overall in 8:33.66.
Ryosuke Irie was the clear favorite, and showed it, in the men's 200 back with a winning 1:56.01. He's been much faster this year with a second-ranked 1:54.08 in April, but won by more than two seconds while cruising through the finale. USA's Rex Tullius took second in 1:58.66, while New Zealand's Gareth Kean claimed third in 1:58.74.
