Rachel Bootsma improves Women’s 100m back-stroke record: Day two – 2011 Pan American Games
Rachel Bootsma of USA shattered the Games mark of Women’s 100m back-stroke on second day of the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico on Sunday, October 16. The event took place at the Scotiabank Aquatics Center.
Bootsma, who qualified as the second finest swimmer of the discipline, proved her eligibility for the crown by posting a record-shattering time of 1 minute and 00.37 seconds. With her extraordinary efforts, she lowered the mark of 1 minute and 01.57 seconds, made by her team-member, Elizabeth Anne Pelton in the preliminary rounds of the event.
Unlike the qualifying rounds where Bootsma followed the lead of Pelton, she remained dominant over her rivals throughout the race. She was the quickest swimmer to jump off the wall, which provided her a slight lead over her challengers.
The American took advantage of her lead and cruised her way towards the first turn, clocking a fastest time of 29.56 seconds for the first-lap. With her fantastic efforts, she smothered efforts arena’s favourite, Pelton, who concluded her initial-lap in 29.87 seconds.
In the next lap of the event, Bootsma demonstrated her gruelling efforts and sprinted towards the finishing end for gold medal. In the final 25 metres of the race, she overwhelmed frenzy efforts of Pelton and completed her lap in a time of 30.81 seconds ensure her gold finish.
Pelton showed a considerable improvement in her timing, but her effort was not enough to overpower the efforts of her foregoing swimmer and she secured a silver medal. She completed her second half of the race in a time of 31.25 seconds to post 1 minute and 01.12 seconds.
The third position of the event was secured by Maria Fernanda Gonzalez of Mexico, who clocked 1 minute and 02.00 second for bronze medal.
The crowd admired scintillating efforts of Bootsma, who lowered the mark of back-stroke discipline. Furthermore, the championship will continue for four more days and will conclude on October 21 after the completion of all swimming events.
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