Potec At The Pace Of Evans In French 800m Free
Apr 22, 2009 - Craig Lord
The evergreen Camelia Potec (ROM), Olympic 200m free champion in 2004 and 27 this year, swam within half a second of the fastest pace of Janet Evans over 800m freestyle to clock the third-best time ever, 8:16.70 at French nationals in Montpellier. Second went to Coralie Balmy, of Dauphins Toulouse, in 8:25.32, on a day that saw 13 French records fall.
Potec is coached by Philippe Lucas in whichever pool they can find a home these days after the mentor to Laure Manaudou fell out with Canet and took his squad of nomads on the road. Potec's best was an 8:19.70, set in Olympic heats before she finished fourth in a final won by Rebecca Adlington (GBR) in a world record of 8:14.10. The Romanian is the first swimmer that Lucas has coached to a speed beyond the best of Manaudou.
The new all-time top 10:
Having raced with Adlington to almost to the 300m mark in Beijing, Potec swam the first 400m a touch outside world-record pace in Montpellier, before fading gradually throughout the last eight lengths. The splits compared:
In 1989. And not a bodysuit in sight. Fabulous.