CANET, France, June 11. JEANETTE Ottesen had a banner day in Canet, the second stop in the Mare Nostrum circuit setting two Danish national records in the 50 free and 100 fly on her road to the European championships.
Ottesen won the 50 free with a 24.40, resetting her national record of 24.54 from last year at the world championships. While the swim is a lifetime best, it’s just fifth in the 2014 world rankings, and fourth among Europeans. Sarah Sjostrom, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Fran Halsall all have swum faster this season, and today’s swim puts Ottesen closer to the medal conversation. Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, representing the Bahamas and SwimMAC Carolina, took second today with a 24.69 with Great Britain’s Halsall placing third in 24.76. Natalie Coughlin was sixth with a 25.00 and comeback girl Therese Alshammar of Sweden finished seventh in 25.17.
A little more than an hour later, Ottesen was in the 100 fly final, where she lowered her own national mark of 57.19 from last year with a 56.96. That inches the Dane closer to the No. 1 global rank held by Sjostrom with a 56.53. Noemie Thomas of Canada placed a distant second with a 58.99, while Israel’s Amit Ivry was third with a 59.53.
Nathan Adrian had a showdown with reigning Olympic champion Florent Manaudou in the 50 free final, and Adrian posted the only sub-22 second swim of the day with a 21.68 to win the event. It’s just two hundredths slower than he swam last weekend in Monte Carlo and shows some consistency for Adrian this season. Manaudou, who posted a 21.70 at the French nationals, could only muster a 22.00, which was good enough to beat Anthony Ervin and his 22.21 for third.
Notably, American record holder and Olympic silver medalist Cullen Jones placed 10th overall with a 22.79 to place second in the B final behind Oussama Sahnoune’s 22.72.
South Africa won three events in Canet. Myles Brown won the men’s 400 free with a 3:50.93, a bit slower than he swam at South African nationals to earn his place on the Commonwealth Games team. A great battle took place behind Brown, with places two through six decided by seven tenths of a second. Spain’s Miguel Duran (3:51.91), Poland’s Filip Zaborowski (3:51.93), Faroe Islands’ Pal Joensen (3:52.14), Great Britain’s Max Litchfield (3:52.41) and Canada’s Jeremy Bagshaw (3:52.64) were in a great battle at the finish.
Brown returned to close out the session with a 1:47.70 in the 200 free. It’s just outside the time needed to get into the world top 20, but gave Brown a one-second victory over Artem Lobuzov and his 1:48.71. France’s Jeremy Stravius was third with a 1:48.93, surging home in 26.87 after falling two seconds behind the leaders at 150 meters.
Karin Prinsloo kept the Springboks at the top of the podium with a 2:10.84 in the 200 backstroke. It’s just a few tenths slower than her best of the season, but enough for the win. Eyglo Gustafsdottir of Iceland was second with a 2:11.86, while Daria Ustinova of Russia claimed third with a 2:12.47.
Ryosuke Irie’s win in the 200 backstroke today in Canet was just a tick slower than his performance a few days ago in Monte Carlo, as the Japanese star stopped the clock in 1:54.97, just off the 1:54.91 he swam on Sunday. Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland, the world championship silver medalist, placed a distant second with a 1:56.98, his fastest time this year. Ryan Murphy, the NCAA champion, placed third with a 1:58.33, a second off his best time of the year. Murphy’s teammate Jacob Pebley was fourth in 2:00.10.
Rikke Pedersen continues to work toward a run at sweeping the breaststrokes at the European championships, winning the 100 today with a 1:06.32. It’s a couple of tenths slower than her best of the year, a 1:06.17 that puts her second in the world behind world record holder Ruta Meilutyte. Jessica Vall of Spain was also off her best time of the season, but her 1:07.76 was good enough to beat teammate Marina Garcia and her 1:08.92.
Ross Murdoch, set to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, nearly cracked 1:00 in the 100 breast, taking the title in 1:00.19. Adam Peaty, also swimming at the Commonwealth Games for England, placed second in 1:00.23. Japan’s Yosuhiro Koseki was also in the mix, placing third with a 1:00.36.
Japan’s Sakiko Simizu, who placed third at the Japan Open in the 200 IM with a 2:12.87, improved on that time today with a 2:12.58 to win the event. She just missed a place in the global top 20, with a 2:12.52 from Maya DiRado holding that spot. In third place through the first three strokes, Simizu powered home in 30.74 to take the win. Hungary’s Evelyn Verraszto finished second with a 2:12.62, while another Hungarian, Zsuszanna Jakabos, was third in 2:12.85.
After a stunning 1:54.70 in the 200 fly to highlight swimming in Monte Carlo last weekend, Japan’s Daiya Seto was in a class all his own today in the 400 IM, winning by six seconds. His 4:13.06 isn’t his fastest of the season – that would be a 4:12.30 from April – but it was more than enough to secure the win. Spain’s Marc Sanchez placed second with a 4:19.86, while Great Britain’s Thomas Haffield, who was just officially named to the Welsh Commonwealth team, was third with a 4:20.05.
Poland’s Konrad Czerniak was part of a tight pack of five swimmers at the 50-meter mark of the 100 fly final, and got to the finish first in a 52.31. Claiming second was Japan’s Takuro Fujii with a 52.48, while teammate Hirofumi Ikebata was third with a 52.54. Tom Shields (52.64) and Viacheslav Prudnikov (52.68) were also a part of the close finish.
Camille Muffat gave the host country its only win of the day, taking the 200 free in a solid 1:56.26. It’s her fastest swim of the season, and puts her fifth in the world rankings and fourth among Europeans. Teammate Charlotte Bonnet was second with a 1:57.00 (also a season best), while Veronika Popova was shy of the 1:55.93 that has her fourth in the world with a 1:57.60.
Final results of the women’s and men’s 50 backstroke championship final were not immediately available.