At 88th on the all-time world best list over 200m butterfly until yesterday, 18-year-old Sebastien Rousseau is now a name to watch: tonight at the South African nationals in Durban he clocked an African record of 1:55.51 in the semi-final.
That's up to 18th all-time, just a fingernail behind the time at which Denis Pankratov (RUS) held the world record and 0.01sec ahead of the time in which Steve Parry, of Britain, claimed Olympic bronze in 2004. Parry's best is now 19th best ever - and 11 of those who overtook his 2004 time did so since February 2008, since we came to know the 2008 generation of swim suits. Just thought I'd mention it.
Anyhow, young Rousseau, on an improvement from a 1:58.03 previous best, was one of four to post Rome 2009 World Championship qualifying times on the opening day of action down deep in Durban.
Through the SSA press office, Rousseau, a pupil at Abbotts College in Cape Town, said: “The aim was to clock around 1:56 in the semi-final and hold some energy back for the final, and I still can’t believe the time I clocked.
He was not alone in showing delight: much more experienced, Roland Schoeman was said to have punched the air with delight after clocking 21.81 in the 50 metres freestyle semi-final. That's well within his target for a ticket to Rome, at 22.33. In heats Schoeman, world 50m 'fly champion and 2004 Olympic relay and Olympic solo silver medallist, stopped the clock at 21.83.
Another man who has "Honed in Arizona" stamped on his form card is Jean Basson. Having set the 4th best ever 500 yards time (4:08.92) at college championships in Texas, he took his national 400m crown in a solid 3:48.58.
World short-course record holder and world cup champion Cameron van der Burgh clocked 1:00.28 in the semi-finals of the 100 metres breaststroke to take to four those already inside target time for Rome.
In the women's 400m free, Wendy Trott clocked 4:08.94 for a resounding victory in a final that saw Olympic backstroke champ and one of the world's most versatile swimmers, Kirsty Coventry, the US-based Zimbabwean, swim 4:13.80 for third.
Results at a glance:
Men - 400m freestyle: 1 J Basson (CGA-CG) 3:48.58; 2 J Thompson (KZNA-KZ) 3:49.33; 3 Rh Schoeman (KZNA-KZ) 3:50.31.
Women - 400m Freestyle: 1 W Trott (WPA-WP) 4:08.94; 2 L Vorster (NTS-NT) 4:13.24; 3 K Coventry (ZIM-ZZ) 4:13.80.
