Jessica Hardy secures Women’s 50m breast-stroke title: Day eight – 2011 FINA World Championships
Jessica Hardy of USA won the title of Women’s 50m breast-stroke meet on the concluding day of the Federation Internationale de Natation organised World Championships in Shanghai, China.
Hardy displayed a miraculous effort of 30.19 seconds in the final round to grab the gold medal of the single-lap event. Her time was 0.39 seconds slower than her own world mark of 29.80 seconds, set during 2009. In addition, her gold winning effort was just
0.10 seconds above the championship record of 30.09 seconds, made by Yuliya Efimova of Russia during the 2009 Rome World Championships.
The gold medallist was in a lead of 0.30 seconds over her following swimmer and championship record holder of the event, Efimova, who transpired on the podium as the silver medallist, with a timing of 30.49 seconds. Efimova was trailed by Hardy’s team-member,
Rebecca Soni, who occupied the podium for third position, by reporting in a time of 30.58 seconds.
Moments later, Australian swimmer, Leiston Pickett ended her swim in the fourth fastest time, as she stayed just 0.16 seconds behind the bronze medallist and submitted a time of 30.74 seconds. She was followed by Jennie Johansson of Sweden, as she remained
only 0.15 seconds behind her foregoing finisher and posted a fifth fastest time of 30.89 seconds. In the meantime, Leisel Jones of Australia claimed the sixth finest spot of the swim, as she stayed 0.12 seconds behind Johansson and ended her swim in a time
of 31.01 seconds.
Moniek Nijhuis of Netherlands followed Jones on the concluding wall as the seventh best swimmer of the one-lap swim, as she stayed 0.32 seconds behind her and clocked a time of 31.33 seconds. The final spot of the swim was secured by Rebecca Ejdervik of
Sweden, who completed her swim in an eighth fastest time of 31.45 seconds.
In addition, Hardy expressed happiness over her comfortable win and said that she will work hard to retain her title at the 2012 London Olympics. The arena was also impressed with the efforts of all competitors in the respective meet.
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