Oussama Mellouli wins Men’s 1500m freestyle title – 2011 Paris Open Championships
Tunisian swimmer, Oussama Mellouli, overshadowed the Men’s 1500m freestyle event on the second day of the 2011 Paris Open Swimming Championships.
The 2011 Paris Open is of gigantic importance, as it precedes the 2011 World Championships, which are set to take place in Shanghai, this July.
Mellouli, who is the champion of the 1500m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, won the gold medal of the event in a winning time of 15 minutes and 07.56 seconds. He was followed by Sebastien Rouault of France, who stayed almost 12 seconds behind
him and touched the wall for the silver medal, by clocking a time of 15 minutes and 19.29 seconds. The bronze medal was secured by Denmark’s Mads Glaesner, who was nearly two seconds behind Rouault and finished his swim in a third fastest time of 15 minutes
and 21.98 seconds.
The Tunisian swimmer is also the gold medallist of the 1500m event at the 2009 Rome World Championships. He also occupied two silver medals in the 400m freestyle and the 800m freestyle at the 2009 World Championships.
Anthony Pannier of Lyon Natation was the fourth fastest swimmer to conclude his distant freestyle swim, as he clocked a time of 15 minutes and 26.17 seconds. He was followed by Damien Joly of France Universitaire, who touched the wall for fifth fastest spot,
by producing a time of 15 minutes and 31.54 seconds.
Xavier Lepretre of Stade Bethune Pelican Club emerged on the finishing wall as the sixth fastest swimmer, by completing his swim in a time of 15 minutes and 51.80 seconds. France Promo’s Benoit Debast followed him on the finishing wall as the seventh position
holder, as he ended his swim in a time of 16 minutes and 00.84 seconds. Kvetoslav Svoboda was the last swimmer to appear on the finishing wall, as he finished his swim in 16 minutes and 12.61 seconds.
Mellouli was exceptionally delighted after defending his 1500m crown and said that he is aiming high for the upcoming world stage in China.
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