Govorov Breaks 50 Fly Meet Record At Day 3 Sette Colli Prelims

2018 SETTE COLLI TROPHY

• June 29-30 / July 1, 2018
• Rome, Italy
• Foro Italico
• LCM (50m)
• Race Program
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results

Ukrainian Andrii Govorov swam the fastest textile 50 fly in history a few weeks ago on the Mare Nostrum Tour, going 22.53, and after a strong prelim swim at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, perhaps has a shot to take a run at the suited world record of 22.43.

The 26-year-old qualified 1st for the final in a time of 22.89, the 15th time he’s gone under 23 seconds. It also broke his own meet record of 23.01, set in 2017.

Great Britain’s Ben Proud, who is the reigning world champion in the event and swam one of the fastest 50 freestyles in history earlier in the competition, qualified 3rd in 23.69 and will no doubt challenge Govorov for the title in the final.

OTHER TOP SEEDS

• The Italians lead the way into the final of the men’s and women’s 200 back, with Christopher Ciccarese (2:00.70) and Margherita Panziera (2:09.68) putting up the top times. Panziera broke her own national record yesterday in the 100 back, and will take a shot at the 200 mark of 2:08.03 tonight. Her current best time is just .05 outside of that.
• Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas qualified 1st in the women’s 200 fly, clocking 2:09.62, just ahead of Great Britain’s Alys Thomas (2:09.73). Thomas currently ranks #1 in the world with her 2:05.45 from the Commonwealth Games.
• Arno Kamminga, who reset the Dutch National record in the 100 breast twice on day 1, qualified 1st in the 200 this morning by over two seconds in 2:10.04, and will look to get under his national record of 2:08.70 in the final. Commonwealth champ and 2015 world champ James Wilby (2:12.22) and Marco Koch (2:12.26) qualified 2nd and 3rd.
• Great Britain’s Molly Renshaw (2:27.43) qualified 1st in the women’s 200 breast, a full second clear of 2nd place Rikke Moller Pedersen (2:28.51). Yuliya Efimova also advanced through in 7th (2:29.40).
• Stephen Milne of Great Britain leads a group of five men who were 1:48-point this morning in the 200 freestyle, checking in at 1:48.45 for the top seed. Turning 6th at the 150 wall in his heat, Milne stormed home in 26.68 to run everyone down and touch 1st, just ahead of #2 qualifier Fernando Scheffer (1:48.46). This is a good sign for Milne, who was not far off his tapered 1:48.08 from the Commonwealth Games.
• With Sarah Sjostrom sitting the race out despite originally entering it, Femke Heemskerk easily took the top spot in the women’s 200 free heats in 1:58.31. Brazilians Larissa Oliveira and Manuella Lyrio were the only other two sub-2:00 with showings of 1:59.76 and 1:59.97 respectively.
• David Verraszto of Hungary, who had a solid showing to win the 400 IM last night, cruised to the top seed in the 200 in 2:01.15, just ahead of Italian Lorenzo Glessi (2:01.30) who was mere hundredths off his lifetime best from two years ago. Chad Le Clos did swim the 200 IM, but interestingly enough seemed to opt to swim 100 fast, 50 easy, and then 50 fast. He was 24.43 in the fly, 30.76 on back, and then just 43.89 on breast before closing in 28.22. He finished in a time of 2:07.30, which put him 27th.
• Siobhan-Marie O’Connor of GBR leads the women’s 200 IM in 2:12.94, just ahead of Efimova (2:13.13) and Heemskerk (2:13.98), while 400 IM winner from last night Ilaria Cusinato is right there in 4th (2:14.67).