Alexa Graudins dominates Men’s 400m freestyle time final: 2011 Australian Short Course Championships
Alexa Graudins of Miami won the time final of the 400m freestyle on the opening day of the 2011 Australian Short Course Swimming Championships, taking place at the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre, in Adelaide, Australia. The event will be conducted
from July 1-3, 2011.
The 20-year-old Graudins won the gold medal of the event, by touching the wall in a top qualification time of 3 minutes and 54.64 seconds. The gold medallist was almost three seconds ahead of his following swimmer, J Zant Van Der of Yeronga Park, who followed
him on the podium for the silver medal, by posting a sterling time of 3 minutes and 57.36 seconds. Van Der Zant was followed by Mack Horton of Melbourne Vicent, who stayed only 0.05 seconds behind him and touched the wall for bronze medal, by producing a time
of 3 minutes and 57.41 seconds.
Graudins was almost 22 seconds behind the world mark of 3 minutes and 32.77 seconds, made by Paul Biedermann of Germany in 2009. His time was also nearly twenty seconds behind the Commonwealth Games record of 3 minutes and 34.58 seconds, set by Grant Hackett
in 2002.
The national champion was evidently strong for the top spot on the podium, as he was the first swimmer to kick-off from the starting blocks and complete the first lap. Graudins dominated the 16-lap swim and showered his expertise to overwhelm his fellow
swimmers for the gold medal.
In addition, Jarrod Poort and Jos Richardson engaged with each other in a furious battle for fourth position, where Wests Illawarra’s Poort out- touched Richardson with a difference of 0.72 seconds. Poort appeared on the finishing wall as the fourth fastest
swimmer, by producing a time of3 minutes and 58.12 seconds, while Richardson finished fifth in 3 minutes and 58.84 seconds. Jo Dangerfield completed his swim in sixth place, by submitting a time of 4 minutes and 07.16 seconds.
The championships will continue for two consecutive days, where national athletes will battle each other to secure the titles of their main events.
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