SHEFFIELD, England, Jan 18. THE USA's Jason Lezak and Slovakia's Martina Moravcova provided the highlights on the second, and final, night of competition at the FINA World Cup VII meet at Ponds Forge pool in Sheffield, England. Sheffield is the seventh stop on the 10-venue FINA World Cup tour for 2000-2001.
Lezak, a silver medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games, easily overpowered the field to win the men's 50 meter free in 21.39 seconds, the world's fastest time this season and only 18-hundredths off Anthony Ervin's short course world record.
Last night, the 6'5" Lezak clocked 47.17 for the 100 meters, also the world's fastest time this season, only 43-hundredths off Alex Popov's world mark from 1994, and more than three seconds ahead of his nearest pursuer.
Moravcova swam only one event–the women's 100m IM–but she won it in 1:01.02, to go along with her three victories last night. Moravcova's effort was the outstanding performance by a woman in Sheffield, according to the FINA rating system. The achievement earned the Texas-based grad student a bonus of $8,500.
The versatile Moravcova, a double silver medalist at the Sydney Olympics, has been the dominant athlete on the World Cup tour. She has competed in 29 races on the tour, winning gold in 24 and silver in five.
For the second night in a row, Karen Campbell joined Lezak as the only Americans to stand atop the award stand. Last night Campbell took the 100 fly in 59.02. Tonight she won the 50 fly in 26.81, almost a full second ahead of South Africa's Mandy Loots. Loots later won the 200 fly in 2:11.00.
Australians won four events this evening, with Brooke Hanson accounting for two of them. Hanson took the 200m breaststroke in 2:25.36, a personal best and almost a full second ahead of the USA's Megan Quann, the 100m breaststroke Olympic champion. Sweden's Emma Igelstrom, the European short course champ, was third.
Hanson picked up her second gold when she tied with Germany's Sylvia Gerasch at 31.22 in the 50m breast. Gerasch, 31, is one of the few former East German Wundermadchen still competing. Igelstrom, who set a European record of 31.17 last week, was third in 31.28.
Australia's Elka Graham our-dueled hometown favorite Rebecca Cooke and Olympic champion, Brooke Bennett, USA, to emerge victorious in the 400 free. Graham clocked 4:07.91 to Cooke's 4:07.98 and Bennett's 4:08.85.
Up-and-comer Jennifer Reilly, 17, picked up the fourth Australian victory of the evening with a brilliant 4:36.11 in the 400m IM–more than six seconds ahead of
countrywoman, Megan McMahon.
Canada had an outstanding day at the pool, with Mike Mintenko easily defeating former WR-holder, Denis Pankratov of Russia, in the 100 meter fly, 52.30 to 53.36. Morgan Knabe was the only swimmer to go under a minute in the 100m breast, posting a winning time of 59.92.
British swimmers won two events. Karen Pickering took the 100m free in a swift 54.70, while Sarah Price took the 100 back in 1:00.15, just missing the one-minute barrier.
Croatia's Gordan Kozulj, a graduate of the University of California, was invincible in the 200m backstroke, clocking 1:52.65, two-and-a-half seconds ahead of Britain's Adam Ruckwood.
RESULTS
Men's 200 meter individual medley
1. Jirka Letzin (GER) 1:59.05
2. Jose Souza Filho (BRA) 2:02.48
3. Paul Callis (GBR) 2:03.50
Women's 400 meter freestyle
1. Elka Graham (AUS) 4:07.91
2. Rebecca Cooke (GBR) 4:07.98
3. Brooke Bennett (USA) 4:08.85
Men's 50 meter freestyle
1. Jason Lezak (USA) 21.39
2. Denis Pimankov (RUS) 22.11
3. Thomas Kindler (CAN) 22.84
3. David Andreasson (SWE) 22.84
Women's 200 meter breaststroke
1. Brooke Hanson (AUS) 2:25.56
2. Megan Quann (USA) 2:26.39
3. Emma Igelstrom (SWE) 2:27.46
Men's 1,500 meter freestyle
1. Simone Ercoli (ITA) 14:58.11
2. Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE) 15:13.53
3. Alan Bircher (GBR) 15:17.78
Women's 100 meter individual medley
1. Martina Moravcova (SVK) 1:01.02
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN) 1:01.86
3. Lori Munz (AUS) 1:02.28
Men's 200 meter backstroke
1. Gordan Kozulj (CRO) 1:52.65
2. Adam Ruckwood (GBR) 1:55.15
3. Rogerio Romero (BRA) 1:55.83
Women's 50 meter butterfly
1. Karen Campbell (USA) 26.81
2. Mandy Loots (SAF) 27.74
3. Alexa White (GBR) 27.76
Women's 100 meter freestyle
1. Karen Pickering (GBR) 54.70
2. Elka Graham (AUS) 55.02
3. Lori Munz (AUS) 55.03
Men's 200 meter freestyle
1. Chen Zuo (CHN) 1:48.52
2. Franck Southon (FRA) 1:48.54
3. Andrew Clayton (GBR) 1:48.68
Women's 50 meter breaststroke
1. Brooke Hanson (AUS) 31.22
1. Sylvia Gerasch (GER) 31.22
3. Emma Igelstrom (SWE) 31.28
Men's 100 meter breaststroke
1. Morgan Knabe (CAN) 0:59.92
2. Darren Mew (GBR) 1:00.36
3. Fabio Farabegoli (ITA) 1:00.47
Women's 400 meter individual medley
1. Jennifer Reilly (AUS) 4:36.11
2. Megan McMahon (AUS) 4:42.48
3. Holly Fox (GBR) 4:43.29
Men's 100 meter butterfly
1. Mike Mintenko (CAN) 52.30
2. Denis Pankratov (RUS) 53.36
3. Greg Phillips (GBR) 54.65
Women's 100 meter backstroke
1. Sarah Price (GBR) 1:00.15
2. Clementine Stoney (AUS) 1:00.89
3. Katy Sexton (GBR) 1:00.91
Men's 50 meter backstroke
1. Sebastian Halgasch (GER) 24.96
2. Denis Pankratov (RUS) 25.06
3. Lin Yi (CHN) 25.20
Women's 200 meter butterfly
1. Mandy Loots (SAF) 2:11.00
2. Holly Fox (GBR) 2:14.21
3. Brooke Bennett (USA) 2:14.35