This file was updated June 29 with the reference in italics in the text below:
At the Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Italy, the warm-up for the circus at Rome world championships next month continued apace, in keeping with other events around the world. Aschwin Wildeboer (ESP) and his 100% fast-suit were an ocean ahead of rivals in the 200m backstroke, their 1:54.96 victory representing a massive leap to 6th fastest all-time from 46th with a previous best of 1:58.26.
In the 100m butterfly, Serbia's Ivan Lendjer took his first senior international crown when he cracked out a 51.79 win over Clement Lefert (FRA), on 51.93, with veteran Slovenian Peter Mankoc still going strong, on 52.06. The pity of the suits saga is that real talent and genuine progress is being masked and lost in a mayhem and riot of new standards. Young Lendjer is 19 this year and improved from a 52.53, set at the European juniors last summer. His new time lifts him from 75th on the all-time ranking to 23rd.
Fred Bousquet (FRA) was a little off his best, at 21.17, in the 50m free (no prizes for guessing the percentage of woe in his suit as he travelled half a second faster than his average best in 2008 and almost a second faster than his very best before the fast-suits era began). The outdoor conditions may have been what split some of the difference with that 20.94 indoor inaugural world record in the era of 100% poly suits. His teammate Alain Bernard, Olympic 100m champion and 50m bronze medallist, claimed silver in 21.62, with Federico Bocchia (ITA) third in 22.05.
Bousquet may have laid his cards on the table for the 50m sprint but France was giving little away in terms of its full potential at the world championships next month. The title in Pescara went to Gaul over Italy in 3:12.03 to 3:13.78, with Greece third in 3:19.17.
The official results did not reveal who swam what and which leg for relays. We can tell you that the French splits were: 48.30; 48.35; 47.76; and 47.62, and I assume that Alain Bernard, Olympic champion brought France home. The other members of the quartet, it is believed, were Amaury Leveaux, William Meynard and Bousquet, going off the French trials results.
UPDATE: the line-up was in fact: Bousquet, Meynard, Leveaux (trying out a Jaked for a first and last time before he wears TYR in Rome) and Bernard. The photo in L'Equipe, the widely respected quality French newspaper, says it all: Leveaux flies off his blocks in a plastic red-hot poker suit beneath a headline and subhead that read: "Italian-Style" - debut for Denis Auguin's 4x100m quartet produces 3:12 ... in conditions approaching the ridiculous. There follows much criticism from French coaches and swimmers of a situation that will deliver Rijeka to Rome next month.
In Pescara, the women's 50m free went to Malia Metella (FRA) in 24.88. The 200m back went to Italy's Alessia Filippi, in a personal best and Italian record (almost inevitably) of 2:08.03. The 100m 'fly went to Francesca Segat (ITA) in 59.13 ahead of Diane Bui Duyet (FRA), on 59.24, with bronze going to Angela San Juan (ESP), on 59.60.
Meanwhile, in Glasgow Britain completed its selection for Rome world titles. Some will doubtless wonder in the weeks ahead as they look at results in Berlin and elsewhere and those line-ups of Jakeds and adidas Hydrofoils that they had no access to whether they would now be heading to Rome had they joined the suit race in full measure. The idea of level playing fields and fairness in the pool is an alien one at this moment in swimming history.
But no mention of suits from the home of Speedo, a company that continues to maintain radio silence as the maelstrom it helped to start continues to engulf the sport. The British Swimming press release:
Britain’s top swimmers signed off from the British Gas Scottish National Championships with an array of good performances as they fought to secure their places on the plane to the World Championships next month.
City of Sunderland swimmer Ian Hulme put himself in contention for selection in the men’s 100m Butterfly after swimming faster than Antony James’ time from Sheffield. Hulme put in a strong performance as he knocked over half a second off the previous time and won his race in 52.09. "I can’t quite believe it," Hulme said. "It’s taken months of hard work but I am finally on the team. I had a bad illness at the trials in March and it has taken so much to recover from that and get fit for this event. I am 25 and I’ve made my first senior national team. It’s been a long time coming but it has all been worth it. It is a fantastic feeling."
Antony James (Plymouth Leander) had to settle for the silver medal in 52.13 and Loughborough University’s Matt Bowe won bronze in 52.40. The men’s 400m Individual Medley was Lewis Smith’s final opportunity to put himself in a position to be selected for the World Championship squad.
Smith started well but was pushed hard through the first 200m by Joe Roebuck (Loughborough University). Smith extended his lead in the backstroke and Roebuck tried to pull it back in the breaststroke leg but Smith’s lead was too much. The Warrender swimmer brought it home on the Freestyle leg and secured his victory with a time of 4:15.92. "I have already had two chances to qualify for Rome and they didn’t work out so there was extra pressure on me tonight," Smith said. "I am very relieved. I enjoyed the race and I knew I must have been in the lead because I heard the crowd. My preparations coming into this weren’t ideal. I was ill for nine days and I missed a lot of training. But that I didn’t want that to be an excuse and I knew I wanted to earn my place on the plane to Rome." Roebuck won the silver four seconds behind Smith in 4:19.18 and Ieuan Lloyd (City of Cardiff) took bronze in 4:27.65.
Five athletes were vying for success in the men’s 200m Freestyle and they were aiming to put in a good time to put themselves in contention for a place on the World Championship relay team. Over the first100m it seemed to be Loughborough University’s Ben Hockin that was in charge of the race. As they turned for the final 50m, City of Glasgow’s Robbie Renwick touched first but was quickly chased down by Andrew Hunter, David Carry and Robert Bale. Hunter (Stirling ITC) finally looked to have secured the victory in the last 10m and finished with 1:47.67. It was half a second slower than his time from Sheffield but he is still in contention for a place in Rome. Loughborough University’s, Bale, won silver just behind Hunter in 1:47.86 and Carry took bronze in 1:48.39.
Garioch’s Hannah Miley, who had already sealed her qualification in the 200m Breaststroke, won another gold medal to add to her impressive tally. Miley was in third place after turn number one and moved up to second in the next 50m but it wasn’t until her powerful back end that Miley stole victory from Nova Centurion’s Emma Bird. The Olympic finalist touched just one tenth of a second faster than Bird with a time of 2:31.50. Bird took silver in 2:31.61 and the bronze medal was won by Stacey Tadd (University of Bath) in 2:32.05.
The women’s 100m freestyle saw Katherine Wyld (Nova Centurion) win her race but just miss out on the time needed for qualification. Emma Wilkins, who looks set to compete in the 50m Freestyle in Rome, fought hard in the final 50m and challenged Wyld’s lead but it was too much and Wyld took gold in 55.52. Wilkins took silver with a time of 55.84 and Loughborough University’s Amy Smith won the bronze in 55.89.
Hannah Miley signed off from her busy competition in the 1,500m Freestyle. The Garioch swimmer has competed in ten different events at the British Gas Scottish National Championships. As with most of her races Miley went out to an early lead and stayed in control throughout the race. The Olympic finalist took the gold medal in 16:46.11. Swansea Performance’s Megan Gilchrist won the silver medal in 16:49.32 and City of Newcastle’s Jessica Thielmann took bronze in 17:04.42.
Loughborough University’s Craig Gibbons took the victory in the men’s 50m Backstroke in a time of 26.10. Darren Ward (Edinburgh University) won silver with a time of 26.50 and Scott Hathaway (Loughborough University) was the bronze medallist in 26.63. The women’s 50m Butterfly saw Louise Pate (Edinburgh University) swim to a victory almost a second ahead of the field. Pate won gold in 27.57 and Eloise Barber (Carnegie) won silver in 28.07. The bronze went to Sarah Easglesham (City of Chester) in 28.26.
