Swimmers impress at the European SC Swimming Championships 2012 – Part 6
The crowd went wild after the commendable efforts of Veronika Popova and Daryna Zevina in the playoffs of Women’s 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke respectively and became eager for more swimming action as the second day was coming to an end.
After the ruthless efforts of Zevina in the backstroke discipline, Men’s 100m butterfly final caught attention of the audience.
After qualifying as the top fastest swimmer, Evgeny Korotyshkin of Russia was the most favoured athlete of the crowd to secure the title. The Russian swimmer wasted no chance and lived up to the expectations of his supporters as he snared the title by clocking
a time of 49.98 seconds.
His title claiming effort remained 1.05 seconds slower from his own meet record of 48.93 seconds, made by Korotyshkin in Istanbul during December 2009. Similarly, was also unable to improve his own world record of 48.48 seconds, set by Korotyshkin in 2009.
He enjoyed a prominent lead over his following swimmer, Rafael Munoz Perez of Spain, who concluded his race in second place by submitting a time of 50.39 seconds for silver medal.
Third fastest spot of the discipline was obtained by Medhy Metella of France, who was only a stroke behind and secured bronze medal with the timing of 50.66 seconds.
Metella was followed by Joeri Verlinden of Netherlands, who finished his race in fourth place by clocking a time of 50.97 seconds.
Afterwards, finalists of the Women’s 100m Individual Medley (IM) gathered on the pool deck to prove their mettle for the title. The presence of Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu in lane 4 inferred a lot to the audience.
The Hungarian swimmer faced tough contest from her teammate, Zsuzsanna Jakabos, but with her unrelenting efforts, she managed to escape her over the finishing wall for the crown with an effort of 59.50 seconds.
Her commendable pace remained comfortably slower from the championship record of 57.85 seconds, set by Hinkelien Schreuder of Netherlands in 2009. She also remained almost two seconds slower from the world record of 57.74 seconds, made by Schreuder in 2009.
Jakabos remained only a touch behind and finished second in the race by producing a time of 59.54 seconds. The silver medallist was followed by Siobhan-Marie O’Connor of Great Britain, who occupied bronze medal of the race by clocking an effort of 59.79
seconds.
Last event of the session was Women’s 50m butterfly playoff, where Jeanette Ottesen Gray devastated hopes of her challengers and snared the title. Ottesen Gray faced tough competition from Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Bulgaria in the first half but with her
continuous efforts, she managed to reach the wall first with an effort of 25.21 seconds.
Her gold claiming effort remained 0.29 seconds away from her own meet record of 24.92 seconds, held by Gray from 2011.
Subsequently, her effort remained 0.83 seconds slower from the world record of 24.38 seconds, set by Therese Alshammar of Sweden in 2009.
Second fastest spot of the race was obtained by Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Bulgaria, who clocked a time of 25.53 seconds.
Herasimenia was traced by Melanie Henique of France, who was only an inch slower from her and hit the wall with the timing of 25.76 seconds for bronze medal.
Henique was traced by Ilaria Bianchi of Italy, who finished fourth in the race with an effort of 25.79 seconds.
To be continued in Part 7.
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