VAN DER BURGH STEALS MARCH ON WORLD CUP RIVALS IN BERLIN
November 16: Two world records to South African Cameron van der Burgh has seen the world champion breaststroker steal a march on his rivals as he chases a successful defence of the rich FINA/ARENA World Cup crown when the five-meet series concludes in Singapore this weekend.
van der Burgh has 100,000 reasons to keep the records rolling after four stunning meets in Durban, Moscow, Stockholm and Berlin.
The much travelled van den Burgh took the $US100,000 prize purse last year and now holds what could well be an unassailable lead of 50 points over his nearest rivals, fellow South African Roland Schoeman and the USA's Peter Marshall.
van der Burgh has 131 points to Schoeman's 81 and Marshall's 80 and has now won seven out of the eight breaststroke sprints - his only loss to Schoeman in Durban.
The women's showdown is not quite as forgone but the USA's Jessica Hardy could well have something to smile about after her horror 2008 when she was banned from the Beijing Olympics for returning a positive test at the US Olympic Trials.
Her world record swim in the 50m breaststroke in Berlin has give her a 40 point break over nearest rival Therese Alshammar (170-130) who managed a World Cup mark to win the 50m freestyle, while defending World Cup champion Australia's Marieke Guehrer (with wins in the 50m backstroke and butterfly) has edged into third place on 79.
The Berlin saw a record of world records in a single leg of this competition - 16. There were six new global marks established on day one with 10 on day two, with a total of 34 world records set across the first four meets.
The new world record holders in Berlin were:
Men
Paul Biedermann (GER) - 200m free (1:39.37) and 400m free (3:32.77)
Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) - 200m back (1:46.11)
Cameron vd Burgh (RSA) - 50m breast (25.25) and 100m breast (55.61)
Steffen Deibler (GER) - 50m fly (21.80)
Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) - 100m fly (48.48)
Sergey Fesiko (RUS) - 100m IM (50.95)
Darian Townsend (RSA) - 200m IM (1:51.55)
Women
Shiho Sakai (JPN) - 100m back (55.23) and 200m back (2:00.18)
Jessica Hardy (USA) - 50m breast (28.80)
Leisel Jones (AUS) - 100m breast (1:03.00) and 200m breast (2:15.42)
Zige Liu (CHN) - 200m fly (2:00.78)
Hinkelien Schreuder (NED) - 100m IM (57.74)
WINNERS
|
|
WOMEN (W) |
MEN (M) |
|
50m free |
Therese Alshammar (SWE) 23.34** |
Roland Schoeman (RSA) 20.57** |
|
100m free |
Jeanette Ottesen (DEN) 51.95 |
Brent Hayden (CAN) 45.56 |
|
200m free |
Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 1:53.77 |
Paul Biedermann (GER) 1:39.37* |
|
400m free |
Lotte Friis (DEN) 4:01.21 |
Paul Biedermann (GER) 3:32.77* |
|
800m free (W) |
Lotte Friis (DEN) 8:04.61** |
- |
|
1500m free (M) |
- |
Federico Colbertaldo (ITA) 14:29.46 |
|
50m back |
Marieke Guehrer (AUS) 26.09 |
Gerhard Zandberg (RSA) 22.85 |
|
100m back |
Shiho Sakai (JPN) 55.23* |
Aschwin Wildeboer (ESP) 49.55 |
|
200m back |
Shiho Sakai (JPN) 2:00.18* |
Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) 1:46.11* |
|
50m breast |
Jessica Hardy (USA) 28.80* |
Cameron vd Burgh (RSA) 25.25* |
|
100m breast |
Leisel Jones (AUS) 1:03.00* |
Cameron vd Burgh (RSA) 55.61* |
|
200m breast |
Leisel Jones (AUS) 2:15.42* |
Melquiades Alvarez (ESP) 2:02.67 |
|
50m butterfly |
Marieke Guehrer (AUS) 24.69 |
Steffen Deibler (GER) 21.80* |
|
100m butterfly |
Felicity Galvez (AUS) 55.62 |
Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) 48.48* |
|
200m butterfly |
Zige Liu (CHN) 2:00.78* |
Nikolay Skvortsov (RUS) 1:50.58 |
|
100m medley |
Hinkelien Schreuder (NED) 57.74* |
Sergey Fesikov (RUS) 50.96 |
|
200m medley |
Jiaxing Li (CHN) 2:07.34 |
Darian Townsend (RSA) 1:51.55* |
|
400m medley |
Tanya Hunks (CAN) 4:30.52 |
Chad Le Clos (RSA) 4:02.18 |
* World Record
** World Cup Record
Provisional leaders of the World Cup after the 4th meet:
|
MEN |
||
|
Swimmer |
Country |
Points |
|
1. Cameron van der Burgh |
RSA |
131 |
|
2. Roland Schoeman |
RSA |
81 |
|
3. Peter Marshall |
USA |
80 |
|
WOMEN |
||
|
Swimmer |
Country |
Points |
|
1. Jessica Hardy |
USA |
170 |
|
2. Therese Alshammar |
SWE |
130 |
|
3. Marieke Guehrer |
AUS |
79 |