Libby Trickett continued to pile pressure on rivals on her way to defending her world 100m freestyle crown in Rome next month with a 53.20 victory that marked the swim of the day at the Paris Open in France. The Australian also won the 50m free, her 24.21 sending a strong message to the Dutchwoman who took Trickett's world record earlier this year, Marleen Veldhuis (NED), second in Paris on 24.69.
Trickett, the Olympic silver medallist in the 100m, is way ahead of rivals in the consistency stakes this season, having set seven of the best 10 times in the world this year, having raced inside 53sec three times and raced inside 53.40 on six occasions. Olympic champion Britta Steffen (GER) will show her strong hand for the first time this season next week at German nationals and trials for the world championships in Rome. So far, her best swims since winning both sprint free Olympic titles in beijing last year have been 54.83 back in February and 55.07 in March.
In Paris, the closest to Trickett, coached by Grant Stoelwinder in Sydney, was Femke Heemskerk (NED), on 53.88, with third place going to Evelyn Verraszto (HUN), on 54.57. In the 50m, Veldhuis took silver just 0.07sec ahead of teammate Ranomi Kromowidjojo.
Veldhuis claimed the 50m 'fly in 25.92, 0.04sec ahead of world champion Therese Alshammar (SWE), with another Dutch sprinter and member of the Olympic gold-medal-winning 4x100m free quartet, Hinkelien Schreuder, third in 26.29. The men's race went to Andrew Lauterstein (AUS) in a swift 23.27, Amaury Leveaux (FRA) second in 23.43, 0.04sec ahead of Milorad Cavic (SRB), Olympic silver medallist in the 100m 0.01sec behind Michael Phelps (USA). Lauterstein also claimed the 100m in 51.44, ahead of Gabriel Mangabeira (BRA), on 52.14, and Cavic, on 52.48.
Results at the American trials for Rome pending, Fred Bousquet will head to the world championships as clear favourite for the 50m free crown. Although he was almost a second outside his best - and that's a long way over 50m - he claimed the free sprint in 21.83 ahead of teammate Alain Bernard (FRA), on 22.10, with Eamon Sullivan (AUS) third in 22.24.
The 400m medleys went to Camille Muffat (FRA), in a solid 4:39.43, and David Verraszto (HUN), on 4:16.55, while the distance freestyle events saw Olympic bronze medallist Lotte Friis (DEN) triumph in 8:31.34 in the 800m, and teammate Mads Glaesner win the 1,500m in 15:08.44.
Leisel Jones (AUS) continues to show that a fallow year does not mean a slow one. She will not race in Rome next month but in 2:24.21 over 200m breaststroke, the double world champion and Olympic 100m champion is clearly ticking through her ease-back season with some ease. The men's 100m breaststroke went to Fabio Scozzoli (ITA), on 1:01.73, no others capable of cracking 1:02 at this stage in the preparations, while Clement Lefert pipped French teammate Leveaux for victory in the 200m free, 1:48.47 to 1:49.64. The women's 200m 'fly gave the home crowd more to cheer about, the win going to Aurore Mongel in 2:08.68 ahead of Agnes Mutina (HUN), on 2:09.96.
Fabiola Molina (BRA) was among those who enjoyed double victories: in the 50m backstroke a 28.72 placed her 0.55sec up on Kromowidjojo, while in the 100m she claimed top honours in 1:02.38. Randall Bal (USA), world record holder, was the only man to challenge the 25sec mark in the 50m backstroke, on 25.04, while the other end of the distance spectrum on that stroke saw France take a one-two result, victory in the 200m going to Jeremy Stravius on 2:01.79, 0.11sec ahead of Pierre Roger, with Nick Dreibergen (NED) a further 0.03sec adrift for a tight podium finish.
In the summer of the 13th FINA world championships, The Suit Remains Significant.
