Karlyn Pipes-Nielsen Cracks First WR of Masters Worlds

On the 4th day of the 2012 World Masters Championships, we started to see athletes roll back for a second run-through at the World Records, and 8 more marks went down in Riccione.

One came at the hands of American Timothy Shead (which makes two altogether for the meet). First, in the 200 IM he swam a 2:30.05 to clear the 2:30.72 swum by fellow American Fred Schlicher in 2008. Shead swims his IM with a great backstroke leg – cutting open over two seconds on the field in that leg alone. In the men’s 50 breaststroke, he also cleared the record listed on the official results, however that record was out-of-date as the mark was broken in March. He did, however, get locked in a great battle with Australian Stuart Ellicott, who is the current standard-bearer. Ultimately, Shead touched in 32.87 to Ellicott’s 32.93; that missed the mark by a slim .03, but did give him another World Championship.

Another repeat-offender on the 2nd day was France’s Nicolas Granger, who for the second-straight day broke an IM Record. He swam a 2:11.22. That destroyed another mark held by American Jerome Frenstos (the same man who held the 400 IM record) that was previously 2:14.90. Frenstos, in 2010, lowered the record over a full-second himself in three record-breaking swims.

In the women’s version of the 200 IM, America’s Karlyn-Pipes Nielsen, the legend of Masters Swimming in the US, won in 2:34.32. That broke the record of South African Cecilia Stanford from last March. This six-second victory also cleared the World CHampionship Meet Record by 10 seconds.

In the women’s 50 free, British swimmer Jane Asher just snuck under the 50 free record with a 38.60; that beat a 38.64 set by American Gail Roper in 2009.

And in a short period, three records went down in the women’s 50 breaststroke, including Monica Coro’s second World Record – adding the 50 to her previous mark in the 100. She was the prior holder of the record at 35.00, and lowered it to 34.18 at this meet for the 50-54 age group.

Croatia’s Giurgiza Gabrila is another swimmer that doubled up her 100 breaststroke record in this meet; she swam a 40.51 to break a three-year old record of 41.52 by just over a second.

And again in the 80-84 age group, Belgium’s Agnes van Obberghen broke the women’s 50 breaststroke record in 49.49, knocking about four-tenths off of her own standard.

Full Meet Results available here.