Ilaria Bianchi dominates Women’s 100m butterfly semi-final – European SC Swimming Championships
Ilaria Bianchi of Italy dominated the semi-final of Women’s 100m butterfly on day three of the 2012 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Chartres, France on Saturday, November 24.
The Italian swimmer showed no mercy to her opponents in the second round of the race and paved her way into the final round as the top contender for gold medal.
Bianchi stifled hopes of her challengers with her impeccable form and rushed her way towards the finishing end for first position by producing an effort of 57.18 seconds.
Bianchi was followed by Veronika Popova of Russia, who was 0.47 seconds slower from her former finisher and transpired on the finishing end for second position by posting an effort of 57.65 seconds.
Popova was followed by Jeanette Ottesen Gray of Denmark, who suffered a loss of only 0.02 seconds from her foregoing finisher and touched the wall by clocking a time of 57.67 seconds.
Fourth best qualification spot of the race was obtained by Kimberly Buys of Belgium, who was 0.24 seconds slower from her former finisher and entered the playoff by posting a time of 57.91 seconds.
Buys was traced by Zsuzsanna Jakabos of Hungary, who stayed 0.38 second slower from her and qualified into the final round as fifth fastest swimmer by touching the wall with an effort of 58.29 seconds.
Jakabos faced tough competition from her following swimmer Birgit Koschischek of Austria, who remained only 0.01 seconds slower from her and appeared on the finishing end for sixth position by posting a time of 58.30 seconds.
Seventh position of the race was obtained by Silvia di Pietro of Italy, who stayed 0.18 seconds behind and managed to enter the final round by clocking a time of 58.52 seconds.
Last qualification spot of the event was secured by Iris Rosenberger of Turkey, who remained 0.22 seconds away from her preceding swimmer and entered the playoff by posting a time of 58.74 seconds.
In addition, Bianchi was overjoyed with her top finish in the race and articulated that she would try her level best to continue the same in the playoff.
Tags: