Stars shine at FINA/Arena Swimming World Cup: Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Part 5
After the scintillating form of Therese Alshammar in the Women’s 100m butterfly, Men’s 100m backstroke attracted the attention of the audience. The audience was mesmerized with the sensational efforts of swimming giants in their respective events and their
expectations levitated as every event passed.
After Alshammar’s incredible win in the butterfly discipline, Stanislav Donets of Russia and Ashley Delaney of Australia became the centre of attention of aquatic crowd. Both players swam head-to-head in the preliminary rounds of the event and were considered
top contenders for the title.
Donets remained marginally ahead of Delaney in the first round of the race but asserted his dominance in the second round where he earned a half body length lead and secured the title. With his unbelievable pace, the Russian swimmer remained 0.66 seconds
ahead of his toughest challenger and hit the wall for gold medal by producing a time of 50.62 seconds.
With his gold winning effort, Donets remained 1.33 seconds slower from lowering the World Cup mark of the race, set by Peter Marshall of USA, who posted 49.29 seconds for the title in 2009. Subsequently, his effort remained 1.68 seconds away from the world
record of 48.94 seconds, set by Nicholas Thoman of USA during December 2009.
The gold medallist was traced by Australian swimmer, who tried hard to overpower Donets but failed to match his pace in the last 50 metres of the swim and finished second in the event by submitting an effort of 51.28 seconds.
Delaney was trailed by Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland, who stayed 0.76 seconds slower from his preceding swimmer and surfaced on the finishing blockade as third position holder by clocking an effort of 52.04 seconds.
Donets was extremely delighted with his victory in the race and stressed that he looking forward to accomplish the same at upcoming stops of the World Cup series.
Moments later, Rachel Goh of Australia stifled hopes of her opponents in the playoff of the Women’s 50m backstroke. The Australian swimmer stayed prominently ahead of her strongest competitor and made her way to the finishing wall for the crown by submitting
a time of 27.02 seconds.
Her alluring effort remained 1.20 seconds slower from the championship mark of 25.82 seconds, set by Jing Zhao of China in 2009. Similarly, she was also 1.32 seconds behind the world record of 25.70 seconds, made by Sanja Jovanovic of Croatia in 2009.
The gold medallist was followed by Noriko Inada of Japan, who remained 0.36 seconds slower from her and seized silver medal of the race by producing a time of 27.38 seconds. Inada was followed by Michelle Coleman of Sweden, who stayed more than half a body
length behind and sprinted her way towards the finishing wall for third position by producing a time of 27.98 seconds.
Coleman remained 0.34 seconds ahead of Jenny Mensing of Germany, who proved her eligibility for fourth position by producing an effort of 28.32 seconds.
“It’s good to start the series with a good win, I will be contesting some of the other events so wanted to start well here,” said Goh.
Goh was pleased with her undisputed effort on the initial stop of the World Cup series and articulated that she would try her level best to continue the same in future events.
To be continued in Part 6.
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