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MOSCOW, Russia, November 6. THE final night of finals at the FINA World Cup stop hosted by Moscow featured three more world records taking a tumble.
Jessica Hardy, Evgeny Korytshkin and George Du Rand each lowered a global mark during an exciting evening of short course meter swimming.
Men's 1500 free
Pal Joensen, from the tiny country of Faroes Island, ran away with the distance freestyle event when he clocked a 14:32.64. That performance broke his previous national record of 14:39.99 set in December 2008. He also finished just a few seconds off the World Cup record of 14:29.51 set by Grant Hackett back in 2000.
Russia's Vitaly Romanovich finished second in 14:39.51, while Denmark's Mads Glaesner placed third in 14:44.43.
Women's 100 free
Denmark's Jeanette Ottesen captured the women's 100 free title in 52.22, while Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom placed second in 52.60. Australia's Marieke Guehrer completed the podium with a time of 52.84 with Hungary's Evelyn Verraszto also clearing 53 with a fourth-place 52.90.
The World Cup record of 52.14 set by Marleen Veldhuis at the 2007 Berlin stop remained alive for another meet.
Men's 200 free
In an exciting finish, Russia's Alexander Sukhorukov topped the field with a 1:42.13. He lowered the Russian record in his home country by downing the 1:43.09 set by Danila Izotov in December 2008. Canada's Brent Hayden claimed second with a 1:42.25, while South Africa's Darian Townsend touched third in 1:42.41 to take down Ryk Neethling's national mark of 1:42.75 from 2005. Russia's Nikita Lobintsev was in the hunt with a fourth-place 1:42.57.
Women's 50 breast
Jessica Hardy of the U.S. took the sprint breast event to an almost unfathomable level with a smoking fast time of 29.36. That swim broke her world and American record of 29.45 set at the 2009 Durban stop, which also stood as the World Cup standard.
She rolled on past Australia's Leisel Jones (30.30) who is returning from some significant time off and an illness. Meanwhile, Russia's Daria Deeva took third in 30.38.
Men's 100 breast
South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh, who owns the world record with a 55.99, lowered his World Cup standard with a 56.36. That swim downed the 56.88 he set during the 2008 Moscow stop on the circuit. Ukraine's Igor Borysik finished second in 57.54 – just off his national record of 57.33. Meanwhile, Russia's Stanislav Lakhtyukhov took third in 57.87, also just off the national record of 57.73 set by Roman Sloudnov back in 2002.
Women's 400 IM
Brazil's Joanna Maranhao-Melo crushed her national record, and beat the World Cup standard, in the distance medley with a time of 4:26.98. That performance downed Kathryn Meaklim's World Cup mark of 4:27.21 set at the 2008 Stockholm stop, and smashed Maranhao-Melo's standard of 4:35.62 set at the same meet.
Meaklim finished second today in 4:29.56, while Russia's Anastasia Ivanenko clocked in with a third-place 4:33.40 to down her national record of 4:33.46 set in 2006.
Men's 100 fly
Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin lowered one of the oldest world records in the books by becoming the first man to clear 49 seconds in the event. Korotyshkin blasted his way to a 48.99 to down Ian Crocker's global mark of 49.07 set back in 2004. Incidentally, he also smashed his World Cup and Russian record of 49.74 set at the 2008 Berlin stop.
Korotyshkin utilized an incredible final 50 meters after touching off the world-record pace at the halfway mark.
Here are the comparative splits:
Korotyshkin: 23.07, 48.99 (25.92)
Crocker: 22.76, 49.07 (26.31)
South Africa's Lyndon Ferns had the best seat in the house with a distant second-place finish of 50.19 that still shattered his national record of 50.44 set in Durban last month. Nikolay Skvortsov gave Russia a 1-3 finish with a 50.35.
Women's 100 back
Russia's Kseniya Moskvina took a run at Shiho Sakai's world record of 56.15, but settled for a winning time of 56.66. That performance smashed the Russian record of 57.83 previously held by Anastasia Zueva since December 2008.
Brazil's Fabiola Molina took second in 57.72 to edge her national record of 57.77 set at the Durban stop last month, while Russia's Mariya Gromova completed the podium with a 57.90.
Men's 50 back
Peter Marshall of the U.S. and Russia's Stanislav Donets provided the fans an exciting finish in the sprint back as the duo tied with matching 22.94s. The pair missed Marshall's world and World Cup record of 22.75 set at the Durban stop. Donets lowered his national record of 23.22 set in December 2008. Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin finished third in 23.43.
Women's 200 fly
Brazil's Joanna Maranhao-Melo continued her strong day with a sterling time of 2:04.01, nearly joining the 2:03 club. Her time cleared the World Cup record of 2:04.04 set by China's Yang Yu at the 2004 Berlin stop. France's Aurore Mongel checked in with a second-place 2:04.75, finishing just off her national mark of 2:04.73 set last December. Australia's Felicity Galvez completed the top three with a 2:05.17.
Men's 200 IM
South Africa's Darian Townsend easily conquered the 200 IM with a time of 1:52.93. The readout finished off his national record of 1:52.51 set at the 2008 Berlin stop. Brazil's Henrique Rodrigues finished second overall in 1:55.37, while Russia's Alexander Tikhonov took third in 1:56.09 to lower Igor Berezutskiy's national record of 1:56.43 set back in 2006 in Moscow.
Women's 400 free
Denmark's Lotte Friis captured the middle distance title with a 4:01.96, which just missed her national record of 4:01.64 set last year in Berlin. Germany's Jaana Ehmcke finished second in 4:04.51, while Hungary's Agnes Mutina copped third in 4:04.52.
Men's 50 free
South Africa's Roland Schoeman dropped a sub-21 time to win the splash-and-dash in 20.88. That beat Stefan Nystrand's World Cup record of 20.93 set at the 2007 Berlin stop, but fell short of Schoeman's global mark of 20.30. Russia's Evgeny Lagunov wound up with silver in 21.16, just missing his national record of 21.15 set last December. Nystrand checked in with a third-place time of 21.23.
Women's 200 breast
Denmark's Rikke Moeller Pedersen raced to a victory in the long breaststroke event with a time of 2:19.58. She downed a returning Leisel Jones of Australia, who settled for second in 2:20.75. Sweden's Joline Hostman captured third in 2:21.54.
Women's 100 IM
The Netherlands' Hinkelien Schreuder rattled Therese Alshammar's world record of 58.51, but settled for a national-record setting time of 58.88. That effort wiped out Schreuder's 59.35 set at the Durban stop last month. Finland's Hanna-Maria Seppala placed second in 59.09, just missing her national record of 59.07 set in 2008. Hungary's Evelyn Verraszto clocked a 59.84 for third place.
Men's 200 back
South Africa's George Du Rand clocked a surprising world record in the long backstroke with a stunning time of 1:47.08. That effort crushed Markus Rogan's global standard of 1:47.84 set at the 2008 World Short Course Championships. The swim also smashed Du Rand's national record of 1:49.53 set in Durban last month, which stands as the World Cup mark.
Here are the comparative splits:
Du Rand: 25.52, 52.59 (27.07), 1:19.57 (26.98), 1:47.08 (27.51)
Rogan: 26.40, 54.43 (28.03), 1:21.10 (26.67), 1:47.84 (26.74)
Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin finished second in 1:48.69 to lower Stanislav Donets' national record of 1:49.22 set last December, while Australia's Ashley Delaney took third in 1:51.04.
Women's 50 fly
In an exciting finish, Sweden's Therese Alshammar touched out Australia's Marieke Guehrer, 25.10 to 25.12. Australia's Felicity Galvez claimed third-place honors with a 25.48 in the sprint fly to complete the Moscow meet.