Federica Pellegrini clinches Women’s 400m freestyle meet: Day one – 2011 FINA World Championships
Federica Pellegrini of Italy conquered the preliminary rounds of Women’s 400m freestyle on the first day of the 2011 Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) organised World Championships in Shanghai, on Sunday, July 24.
Pellegrini won the qualifying rounds of the event, by demonstrating a phenomenal effort of 4 minutes and 04.76 seconds. She is also the world record holder of the same event, as she clocked a time of 3 minutes and 59.15 seconds to capture the title of the
meet at the 2009 Rome World Championships. Despite of her fastest qualifying effort, Pellegrini missed her own world mark with a difference of 5.61 seconds.
She was followed by Camille Muffat of France, who stayed nearly one second slower than her and dashed into the final round with an outstanding effort of 4 minutes and 05.62 seconds. Lauren Boyle of New Zealand was the third best swimmer of the swim, as she
was only 0.24 seconds slower and completed her swim in a dazzling time of 4 minutes and 05.86 seconds.
The fourth best spot of the eight-lap swim was occupied by Lotte Friis of Denmark, who stayed just 0.45 seconds behind Boyle and submitted a time of 4 minutes and 06.31 seconds. Friis remained only 0.07 seconds behind her closest competitor, Kylie Palmer
of Australia, who claimed the fifth fastest spot into the final, by posting a time of 4 minutes and 06.38 seconds.
Spain’s Melanie Costa Schmid was the sixth best swimmer of the distant freestyle swim, as she was 0.64 seconds slower and concluded her race in a time of 4 minutes and 07.02 seconds. Great Britain’s Rebecca Adlington was the seventh finest finisher of the
event, as she posted a time of 4 minutes and 07.38 seconds. She was followed by American swimmer, Kathryn Hoff, who ended her swim in the eighth fastest place, by reporting in a time of 4 minutes and 07.38 seconds.
Furthermore, these qualifying athletes will contest with each other in the next round to secure a podium finish.
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