Michael Phelps earns 200m back-stroke gold medal – 2011 Santa Clara international Invitational
The 2008 Beijing Olympic champion, Michael Phelps, earned the gold medal of the Men’s 200m back-stroke swim on the second last day of the 2011 Santa Clara International Invitational.
The Santa Clara championships is the concluding stop of the 2010-11 USA Grand Prix Series, where the world’s best swimmers are invited to compete with each other in their respective swims. The Santa Clara also precedes the forthcoming 2011 World Championships
in Shanghai, this July.
Phelps of North Baltimore, who won eight-record gold medals at Beijing, clinched the title of the 200m event in a comfortable manner, by posting a time of 1 minute and 57.05 seconds. The 25-year-old Phelps was 3.25 seconds away from his closest competitor,
Mitchell Larkin of Australia, who touched the wall for silver medal, by clocking in a time of 2 minutes and 00.30 seconds. Moments later, New Zealand’s Matthew Swanston emerged on the finishing wall for the bronze medal, by touching the wall in a time of 2
minutes and 00.54 seconds.
The Beijing champion was almost five seconds slower than the world mark of 1:51.92 minutes, held by his fellow American swimmer, Aaron Peirsol at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. He was 3.97 seconds slower than the US Open mark of 1:53.08 minutes, set
by Peirsol in 2009.
Cory M Chitwood of Tucson Ford Deal was 0.21 seconds behind Swanston and touched the wall for fourth position, with a timing of 2 minutes and 00.75 seconds. He was followed by Tobias Oriwol of TSC, who transpired as the fifth position holder, by reporting
in a time of 2 minutes and 00.82 seconds.
Matthew Hawes of Canada and James A Lendrum of Trojan Swim Club appeared on the finishing wall as the sixth and seventh fastest swimmers, by producing a time of 2:01.10 and 2:01.28 minutes, respectively. They were followed by John P Conger, who ended his
swim in the eighth pace in a time of 2 minutes and 01.74 seconds.
The winners received medals after the session’s completion, while the arena acknowledged their wonderful swims.
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