Kosuke Kitajima wins Men’s 200m breast-stroke semi-final: Day five – 2011 FINA World Championships
Kosuke Kitajima of Japan captured the fastest qualification spot in the finals of Men’s 200m breast-stroke meet by dominating the semi-finals of the event on day five of the 2011 Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) organised 2011 World Championships
on Thursday, July 28, in Shanghai, China.
Kitajima displayed a wonderful swim in the 200m event, as he occupied the top qualification spot in a time of 2 minutes and 08.81 seconds. His time was 1.50 seconds away from the world mark of 2 minutes and 07.31 seconds, made by Christian Sprenger of Australia
at the 2009 World Championships in Rome.
He was followed by Hungarian swimmer, Daniel Gyurta, who stayed just 0.11 seconds behind him and entered the final as the second fastest swimmer, by submitting a superb time of 2 minutes and 08.92 seconds. In the meantime, Christian Vom Lehn of Germany,
occupied third fastest qualification spot into the final, by reporting in a time of 2 minutes and 09.44 seconds.
Vom Lehn was followed by an American swimmer, Eric Shanteau, who entered the final as the fourth finest swimmer, by posting a time of 2 minutes and 10.03 seconds. Andrew Willis of Great Britain was the fifth fastest swimmer to enter the final round, as he
stayed 0.46 seconds behind Shanteau and clocked a time of 2 minutes and 10.49 seconds. Willis’s team-member, Michael Jamieson was the sixth best swimmer to reach the final round, as he stayed 0.05 seconds behind him and produced a time of 2 minutes and 10.54
seconds.
Woong Choi Kyu of Korea emerged as the seventh finest swimmer to qualify for the final, as he posted a time of 2 minutes and 11.27 seconds. He was followed by Giedrius Titenis of Lithuania, as he stayed 0.16 seconds behind his foregoing swimmer and reported
in a time of 2 minutes and 11.43 seconds.
With his commendable swim, Kitajima is now one step-closer to claim the world title of 200m breast-stroke. In addition, he also has another opportunity to improve the world record of his main event.
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