SINGAPORE, September 3. THE inaugural Singapore Swim Stars spring challenge meet took place today in Singapore as 20 world champion sprinters took to the water this evening in the sprint event as part of a three-day weekend that includes an open water event as well as a clinic tomorrow. The single session sprint meet included the likes of Katinka Hosszu, Nathan Adrian, Adam Peaty and others racing for prize money.
Prize Money
50 and 100 free: 1st $10,000; 2nd $5,000; 3rd $2,500; 4th $1,250
Other Events: 1st $5,000; 2nd $3,000; 3rd $1,500; 4th $750; 5th $300
Total Prize Money: $140,000 including $20,000 for the first world record.
LIVE RESULTS (for iPhones only)
Scheduled Events
- Women’s 100 free
- Men’s 100 free
- Men’s 100 back
- Women’s 50 free 1st round
- Men’s 50 free 1st round
- Women’s 100 back
- Men’s 100 breast
- Women’s 50 free 2nd Round & Final
- Men’s 50 free 2nd Round & Final
- Women’s 100 fly
- Women’s 100 breast
- Women’s 50 free Super Final
- Men’s 50 free Super Final
Women’s 100 free
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
Australia’s Melanie Schlanger captured the first title on offer with a 53.51 at the finish, while Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu took second in the event with a 53.64.
Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen (54.22), Denmark’s Pernille Blume (54.54), Australia’s Brittany Elmslie (54.87), Great Britain’s Fran Halsall (55.23), Australia’s Bronte Barratt (55.29) and Bahamas’ Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (56.01) also competed in the finale.
Men’s 100 free
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
USA’s Nathan Adrian won the finale with 48.46 even though the scoreboard is not presenting proper finishing times, leading to much confusion in the arena regarding who won. Adrian even looked really confused after the swim, wondering if he won or not. Japan’s Shinri Shioura finished second in 49.07 with France’s Fabien Gilot taking third in 49.14.
USA’s Anthony Ervin (49.44), Australia’s Matt Abood (49.65), Great Britain’s Ben Proud (50.01) and Australia’s Andrew Abood (50.19) also put up times in the finale.
Men’s 100 back
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
USA’s David Plummer topped the finale in 53.51, just off his fifth-ranked season best of 53.12. Australia’s Ashley Delaney placed second in 54.19 with USA’s Eugene Godsoe taking third in 54.38.
Japan’s Yuki Shirai (54.57), Australia’s Josh Beaver (54.77), Great Britain’s Liam Tancock (55.39), Great Britain’s Marco Loughran (56.48) and Singapore’s Malcolm Yang (59.09) also competed tonight.
Women’s 50 free 1st round
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
Australia’s Melanie Schlanger won the first round in 24.97 with Great Britain’s Fran Halsall (25.02), USA’s Madison Kennedy (25.22) and Bahamas’ Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (25.25) listed as moving through to the second round as the top four advance.
Denmark’s Pernille Blume (25.28), USA’s Jessica Hardy (25.35), Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte (25.37), Australia’s Brittany Elmslie (25.45) and Singapore’s Amanda Lim (25.66) finished in the bottom half of the heat.
Men’s 50 free 1st round
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
USA’s Josh Schneider blasted a 22.01 to lead the pack in the splash-and-dash, while South Africa’s Roland Schoeman (22.16), USA’s Nathan Adrian (22.23) and Great Britain’s Ben Proud (22.33) all made the second round.
Japans’ Shinri Shioura (22.43), USA’s Anthony Ervin (22.50), Australia’s Matt Abood (22.61), Australia’s Andrew Abood (22.81) and Singapore’s Russell Ong (23.71) also competed.
Women’s 100 back
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
She just missed her world-leading 58.84 from the Pan Pacific Championships, but Australia’s Emily Seebohm was still thrilled with a 58.99 to win the title along with the $5,000 for the first-place check. Denmark’s Mie Nielsen hit the wall second in 59.20 to improve on her second-ranked time of 59.36 from the Eindhoven Swim Cup. Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu finished third in 59.36. That’s a new Danish record for Nielsen, as her 59.36 from Eindhoven had stood as the Danish mark.
Great Britain’s Georgia Davies (1:01.55), Great Britain’s Lauren Quigley (1:01.57) and Singapore’s Chantal Liew (1:05.95) also put up times in the heat.
Men’s 100 breast
Photo Courtesy: Speedo
Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli hit the wall first in the finale with a 1:00.37 for the title, while Great Britain’s Adam Peaty snared second-place honors in 1:00.42. South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh, the world record holder, took third in 1:00.77.
New Zealand’s Glenn Snyders (1:01.14), USA’s Mike Alexandrov (1:01.24), Great Britain’s Ross Murdoch (1:01.27), Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima (1:03.44) and Singapore’s Christopher Cheong (1:04.54) also took part in the finale.
Women’s 50 free 2nd round
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
Australia’s Melanie Schlanger (24.87) and Great Britain’s Fran Halsall (24.97) set up a head-to-head shootout for $10,000 in the final round as they made it through the semifinal round of the splash-and-dash.
USA’s Madison Kennedy (25.48) and Bahamas’ Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (25.57) were knocked out in this round.
Men’s 50 free 2nd round
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
Photo Courtesy: Azaria Basile
USA’s Nathan Adrian and USA’s Josh Schneider put up matching times of 21.83 to move on to the final $10,000 heat of the knockout rounds in the men’s 50 free.
South Africa’s Roland Schoeman (22.22) and Great Britain’s Ben Proud (22.39) also competed in the semifinal round.
Women’s 100 fly
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli Insidefoto
Following a shoddy start call, which had half the field going on one signal and the other half missing the start due to technical difficulties with the speaker system, Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen raced her way to a 57.34 for the win. The Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu, one of the slower starters in the field, made her way to second in 58.73 as she overhauled almost the entire field. Australia’s Brittany Elmslie took third in 58.77.
Great Britain’s Rachael Kelly (1:00.84), USA’s Kim Vandenberg (1:01.34) and Singapore’s En Qi Hoong (1:03.26) also vied for the title tonight.
Women’s 100 breast
Photo Courtesy: Xinhua/Yang Lei
World-record holder Ruta Meiltutye of Lithuania really does not have a peer in the women’s breaststroke right now. She bruised up the rest of the field in the 100 breast with a 1:05.73. That’s about half-a-second off her world-leading time of 1:05.21 from the ASA National Championships.
Denmark’s Rikke Moeller Pedersen took a close finish against USA’s Jessica Hardy for second, 1:07.30 to 1:07.33, while Australia’s Leiston Pickett placed fourth in 1:07.65. Australia’s Lorna Tonks also swam in the heat with a fifth-place 1:08.59.
Women’s 50 free final
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
Australia’s Melanie Schlanger touched out Great Britain’s Fran Halsall in the splash-and-dash, 24.67 to 24.74. That delivered Schlanger another $10,000 check after winning the same amount for the 100 free to run her total tally tonight to $20,000.
Men’s 50 free final
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
After tying Josh Schneider with 21.83s in the semifinal round, USA’s Nathan Adrian had just enough in the tank to clip Schneider, 21.72 to 21.76, for the win in the men’s 50-meter free. That swim gave Adrian a second $10,000 paycheck as well to run his tally today to $20,000 for the day, and he made sure to toss his cap to the crowd while still breathing a bit hard right after the finish.
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