Stars shine at FINA/Arena Swimming World Cup: Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Part 4
The gruelling form of the participants continued as the initial day of the 2012 FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup progressed and thus the crowd could not wait for the exhausting efforts of their stars.
After the laudable efforts of Jennie Johansson in the Women’s 100m breaststroke, the finalists of the Men’s 400m Individual Medley (IM) lined up on the starting blocks. Similarly, the crowd was eager to see the nerve-wrecking efforts of Laszlo Cseh of Hungary
and Daiya Seto of Japan.
With his quickest response to the start, Seto gained a comfortable lead over his opponents just after the start of the race. He continued his scintillating form throughout the sixteen-lap event and earned his way to the top of medal rostrum for gold medal
by producing a time of 4 minutes and 02.64 seconds.
His title claiming effort remained almost seven seconds slower from the world record of USA’s Ryan Lochte, who clocked an effort of 3 minutes and 55.50 seconds in 2010. Subsequently, he was nearly two seconds behind the championship record of 4 minutes and
00.63 seconds, owned by Thiago Pereira of Brazil in 2007.
The gold medallist was followed by Cseh, who remained four body lengths behind and surfaced on the wall for silver medal by producing an effort of 4 minutes and 06.69 seconds. Cseh remained just a touch ahead of his following swimmer, Chaosheng Huang of
China, who touched the wall with an effort of 4 minutes and 06.78 seconds for bronze medal.
Seto sent an alarming message to his competitors through his undisputed effort and his comfortable win in the IM event has cemented his chances of repeating the same at subsequent junctures of the World Cup series.
Afterwards, Therese Alshammar of Sweden reached the starting blocks as strongest contender for the title of Women’s 100m butterfly. She demonstrated her astonishing efforts in the four-lap butterfly discipline and paved her way to the wall for the title.
The Swedish swimmer remained in a lead of half body length over her closest competitor and tapped the wall for gold medal.
With her impeccable pace, she earned her way to the top of victory stand for gold medal by producing a time of 57.91 seconds. Her undisputed effort remained 2.86 seconds away from improving the world record of 55.05 seconds, set by Diane Bui Duyet of France
in December 2009.
She was also 2.55 seconds away from the championship mark of 55.46 seconds, made by Felicity Galvez of Australia during November 2009.
Second position in the butterfly discipline was secured by Inge Dekker of Netherlands, who stayed 0.39 seconds apart and surfaced on the finishing blockade with an effort of 58.30 seconds.
The silver medallist remained 0.07 seconds ahead of Hang Yu Sze of Hong Kong, who proved her mettle for bronze medal of the discipline by producing a time of 58.37 seconds.
Sze stayed more than a body length away from her following swimmer and teammate, Kin Lok Chan, who settled on the wall as fourth fastest swimmer by clocking a time of 1 minute and 00.47 seconds.
In addition, the audience applauded for breath-taking efforts of all participants in the butterfly discipline while Alshammar, who just recovered from her neck injury, expressed happiness after securing the title of her main event.
To be continued in Part 5.
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