BANGKOK, Thailand, August 10. THE women owned the night as four of the six events contested on the second night of competition at the World University Games were women's events. During the evening, Kaitlin Sandeno of the United States posted a statement swim reminding those swimmers back home that missed her at the US National Championships that she's a force to be reckoned with in the 200 IM at next year's Olympic Trials.
Men's 800 freestyle
The United States' Chad La Tourette rocketed to sixth-best in the world this year with a Games-record time of 7:49.90. Previously, he held 16th with a time of 7:55.42 set in July. He now trails fifth-place Erik Vendt (7:49.75).
Russia's Yury Prilukov took silver in 7:50.49, a time that improved upon his 15th-best time in the world this year of 7:54.96. He now sits eighth in the world this year behind seventh-place Federico Colbertaldo's 7:49.98.
Ukraine's Sergiy Fesenko rounded out the top three with a time of 7:52.41, a minor improvement over his 7:52.64 set at Worlds this year. He now stands 12th in the world this year.
Women's 100 butterfly
Canada's Mackenzie Downing won the gold medal with a time of 58.88, which ranks her 16th in the world this year behind 15th-place China's Xu Yanwei (58.82). Russia's Irina Bespalova finished with a silver-winning time of 59.02, while Xu took bronze in 59.22.
Downing actually stood fourth at the turn with a 27.85 split, while Bespalova (27.70), Xu (27.83) and eighth-place Masae Oshimi of Japan (27.67) flipped in front of her. Oshimi, however, paid for that effort with a final readout of 1:00.11.
Notably, Erin Reilly took seventh for the United States in 59.95.
Women's 50 backstroke
Japan's Aya Terakawa won the backstroke splash-and-dash with a time of 28.61, which set a Universiade standard. Her time, however, did not improve her global standing this year, as Terakawa holds the eighth spot with a 28.56 from the Japan National Championships held in April.
Belarus swept silver and bronze as Aleksandra Herasimenia finished second in 28.70, a bit off her third-fastest time in the world this year of 28.36 set at Worlds. Teammate Sviatlana Khakhlova placed third in 28.83, which moved her into 16th place in the world this year behind Russia's Anastasia Zueva's 28.81 set at the Paris Open earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Lauren English took eighth place for the United States in 29.31.
Women's 100 freestyle
World-record holder Britta Steffen of Germany easily won the gold medal with a Games-record time of 54.36. She actually trailed silver-winning Andrea Hupman of the United States, 26.77 to 26.91, at the turn. Steffen, however, dropped the hammer in the final 50 with a 27.45 split against Hupman's 28.59. Hupman settled for silver in 55.36, while Australia's Alice Mills claimed bronze in 55.40.
Women's 200 IM
The United States' Kaitlin Sandeno put her hat in the ring for a 200 IM bid at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by clocking the second-fastest time by an American this year. She won in a Universiade-standard time of 2:12.13, which put her ahead of Caitlin Leverenz' 2:12.32 recorded at the US National Championships. The time also stands as the fourth-fastest in the world this year behind only Katie Hoff (2:10.13), Kirsty Coventy (2:10.76) and Stephanie Rice (2:11.42).
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Yana Klochkova claimed silver in 2:13.15, nearly a second off her best time this year of 2:12.16 set at the Paris Open that is now the fifth-best global effort of the year.
Russia's Svetlana Karpeeva rounded out the top three with a bronze-winning 2:14.37, while Alicia Aemisegger placed fourth for the United States in 2:14.51.
Men's 400 freestyle relay
The United States' contingent of Matt McGinnis (49.61), Matt Grevers (48.45), Bryan Lundquist (49.48) and Adam Ritter (48.52) set a Games-record time of 3:16.06.
Canada's team of Richard Hortness, Brian Johns, Chad Hankewich and Darryl Rudolf wound up taking silver in 3:18.57, while the Russian quartet of Evgeniy Lagunov, Sergey Perunin, Andrey Grechin and Yury Prilukov pocketed bronze in 3:18.73.