Swimmers shine in swimming events: Santa Clara International Grand Prix – Part 11
The escalated efforts of Alia Atkinson and Glenn Snyders in the 100m breaststroke discipline added stars to the third day of the 2012 Santa Clara International Grand Prix.
The crowd went wild with the unimaginable performances of all participants in the playoffs of their exclusive events while there was more to come.
Fifth event of the session was Women’s 100m backstroke, where a fierce battle was expected between Natalie A Coughlin and Fernanda Ramirez Gonzalez for the crown of the event.
The 29-year-old Coughlin, who entered the playoff as top fastest swimmer, lived up to the expectations of her supporters and gave no chance to Ramirez to pounce on her shoulder.
Coughlin gained a comfortable lead over her strongest challenger from the start and sprinted her way towards the finishing wall for first position with the timing of 1 minute and 00.83 seconds.
Her alluring effort remained 1.39 seconds behind the championship mark of 59.44 seconds, owned by Coughlin during 2008. The champion also holds the US Open record of the event as she hit the finishing blockade with an effort of 58.97 seconds.
Her gold winning effort stayed nearly two seconds slower from her own American record of 58.94 seconds, set by Coughlin in 2008. Likewise, she failed to improve the world record of 58.12 seconds, owned by Gemma Spofforth of Great Britain at the 2009 Rome
World Championships.
Coughlin remained nearly 1.30 seconds faster from Gonzalez Ramirez, who occupied silver medal of the discipline by posting an effort of 1 minute and 02.14 seconds.
Third position of the backstroke discipline was secured by Madison M White, who remained marginally slower from her foregoing finisher and emerged on the finishing end with an effort of 1 minute and 02.30 seconds.
The bronze medallist was followed by Cindy Tran, who remained 0.26 seconds apart and occupied fourth position of the event with the timing of 1 minute and 02.56 seconds.
Following that, Randall B Bal snared gold medal of the Men’s 100m backstroke. The 31-year-old Bal stayed comfortably ahead of his opponents and proved his mettle for the crown of the discipline with the timing of 56.03 seconds.
His title claiming effort remained two seconds behind the championship mark of Michael Phelps, who posted 54.03 seconds in 2008. He was almost five seconds slower from the world record of Aaron Peirsol of Longhorn Aquatics, who set the mark with a 51.94
seconds effort.
The gold medallist was followed by Federico Grabich of Argentina, who stayed half body length apart and settled on the victory stand for silver medal with the timing of 56.51 seconds.
Third position of the discipline was secured by James A Lendrum, who proved her eligibility for bronze medal of the discipline by producing a time of 57.19 seconds.
The bronze medallist remained 0.11 seconds faster from Nicholas Trowbridge, who finished fourth in the discipline by producing a time of 57.30 seconds.
In addition, the crowd was stunned with the furious efforts of Bal in the double lap backstroke discipline while the champion received a huge round of applause from the audience for their notable efforts at the prize distribution ceremony of the championship.
Furthermore, the audience was very excited and could not wait to see how their favourite swimmers perform in the remaining events of the session.
To be continued in Part 12.
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