Seebohm sizzles in seventh World Cup gold, taking 100m backstroke in 58.59
Swimming Australia, October 1, 2015: Emily Seebohm has taken her Fina World Cup record to seven gold and five silver medals from 12 swims on the second day of the Beijing round at the Water Cube over night.
Australian swimmers took their overall Beijing medal tally to 22 – adding three gold, four silver and five bronze to their day one tally of four gold, four silver and two bronze.
Seebohm, the 23-year-old triple World Champion did it in style – clocking the second fastest time of the year to score a tearaway victory in the 100 metres backstroke in a stunning time of 58.59 (28.75; 29.84).
The only time swum faster this year was her own 58.26, clocked to win her the World title in Kazan in August.
The Seebohm train has not stopped since, winning two gold and a silver in the opening World Cup round in Moscow; one gold and two silver in Paris; two gold and a silver in Hong Kong and wrapping up two gold and a silver in Beijing.
She was then crowned the Swimming Australia Swimmer of the Year Award with fellow triple world champion, Bronte Campbell and the pair were quickly back in the water.
And for Seebohm she is hoping to swim even faster.
" I did not expect I could swim that fast,” Seebohm said after clocking 58.59 to again defeat Hungary’s Iron Lady” Katinka Hosszu.
“ I am happy that it is just the beginning of the season. I would love to get faster and faster in the next stops of the World Cup and get ready for Rio Olympic Games.”
Cate and Bronte Campbell again scored a one-two finish for Australia in the women's 100m freestyle, in another classic sister V sister act with Cate winning in 52.96, 0.02 seconds faster than Bronte (52.98).
It was the reverse of the positions they placed in Kazan Worlds where Bronte claimed gold. Missy Franklin of the United States finished third in 54.39.
"Bronte just pushed me all the way in a very tight race,” Cate Campbell said after taking out her fourth World Cup win from two stops.
“ I am happy with the result. It is good to swim like this in the early season. We had two weeks holiday after World Championships and (then) back to training.
“There will be no more Christmas and no more New Year’s holidays as we start to prepare for the Olympic Games.
“We have a lot of work to do. We will have our Olympic trails next April.”
Meanwhile, Gold Coast World Championship freestyler Dan Smith took his World Cup gold medal tally to five from four World Cup rounds after sealing his second 200-400m freestyle double.
Smith added the 200m freestyle gold in 1:46.70 – just 0.20s outside his personal best, clocked to win the Paris round a week after the Kazan World Championships where he won bronze in Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
Sydney’s Jacob Hansford continued his good form, with another bronze medal in 1:49.65.
In other events:
- London Olympian Ashley Delaney collected a pair of silvers in the 50 and 200m backstroke; the 50m in 25.27 and the 200m in 1:58.86 to continue his World Cup medal assault.
- WA Breaststroker Tommy Sucipto again finished on the podium against Olympic champion Cameron Van Der Burgh in the 100m breaststroke in 1:01.16 to continue his emergence as a star of the future
- Likewise fellow WA swimmer and Youth Olympic bronze medallist Nic Brown took the bronze in the 100m butterfly, clocking 53.76.
- Sydney boys Tomas Elliott (2:02.07) and Kazimir Boskovic (2:02.14) finished second and third in the 200m individual medley;
- Te Haumi Maxwell picked up another third place in the 560m freestyle, in 22.72 while;
- WA’s Holly Barratt was fourth in the 50m butterfly in 26.40.
Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
Hanson Media Group | P O Box 299 | West Burleigh Qld 4219
Phone: +61 7 5522 5556 | Mobile 0407 385 160 | Fax: +61 7 5522 5557
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.hansonsportsmedia.com.au