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Dash Champs: Kukla, VD Burgh, Edington
Oct 8, 2010 - Craig Lord
Commonwealth Games, Delhi, day 5 finals:
Women's 50m freestyle
Yolane Kukla (AUS), 15, took gold 24.86 to 24.98 ahead of Francesca Halsall (ENG), in recovery mode from Delhi belly, with bronze going to Hayley Palmer (NZL) in 25.01. Behind at 10m, ahead until 10 to go and still looking strongest for the title, Halsall's traumatic 48-hour tour of the sick bay started to take a toll, she tightened and those who did not got back into contention. Kukla was the only one with a response capable for the European bronze medallist.
Halsall dashed off to get ready for her relay, but she was in no doubt about where that race sat in an otherwise excellent years of progress for her: "I wanted to win that but I know why I didn't. If I had been well I would have won that. You can't choose when you're well or not and unfortunately I got ill two days ago. At least I know I can do these things (swim under duress after 48 hours of medical intervention, vomiting and sickness) and I can handle it. I just didn't have as much power as Kukla. I am absolutely knackered."
Kukla, the youngest swim champ at the past three Commonwealths, said: "It's an amazing feeling. Those last 15m were very tough and I just used all the energy I had left. I really wasn't expecting this, but to win a gold medal in front of my family here is fantastic."
Halsall, sick for the past 48 hours, described herself as "a little disappointed". Little wonder: had she not got sick, the whole dynamic of the women's meet could have been so different, Halsall in line for three golds that sickness kept her from. "I'm sure that, when I look back, I'll be very happy but my initial reaction was, damn it. That was my 11th race. It's a really tough schedule."
Palmer was having fun: "The 50m is a great event to swim. Each time, I seem to get faster, which is a real confidence booster. It's great fun."
The result:
Bronze made Palmer the first Kiwi to win a medal in the Commonwealth dash.
History in the making:
Top 3 comparisons
Gold-medal leader board: AUS 3/5 (since 1990)
Records:
Rankings
Impact on 2010 world rankings: none...
Impact on all-time world top 10: none
From The Archive:
The 2002 winner, Alison Sheppard (SCO), can be found this week in the media centre at the pool in Delhi, where she is working as an expert commentator alongside England Commonwealth breaststroke medal winner in 1990, James Parrack, for the Games broadcaster. What a team - and both are still in fine fettle too.
Men's 50m breaststroke
Cameron Van Der Burgh (RSA) added the 50m dash to his 100m crown in 27.18 to match the best-ever time set in a textile suit, by Oleg Lisogor (UKR) back in 2002. The South African was a class apart, silver shared, for the second final of the evening, by Glenn Snyders (NZL) and Brenton Rickard (AUS) in 27.67.
Van Der Burgh, world champion and record holder in 2009, also leads the 2010 world rankings. He was a league apart in Delhi, so much so that the time prompted him to say: "I wasn't expecting to go that fast, but I'm stoked with the time. I felt really good this morning and felt I was in the best condition for tonight's race. I've had brilliant support from the fans back home and I really appreciate that." His contribution to South Africa's good show on the medals table relative to the past - it now has six golds in the pool and has never had so many before - is significant, not just in count but in terms of the inspiration it provides.
Snyders said: "At the start, I could see I was behind a little. It feels great, I wanted to get in the medals. I've got the 200m tomorrow, so I'll see how that goes."
Rickard said: "I am pretty happy with that swim. It was a very fast race, so to come away with a Silver is greatly satisfying. It's been a tough week but I had to expect that, and I am pretty happy with what I've been able to achieve. It's taken me five days to get one [a medal], but I got it. I was up against the world champion, so it's definitely a good result."
The result:
Fonua and Sejwal are the first from Tonga (via NZL and trained in the US) and India to make a Commonwealth final.
History in the making:
Top 3 comparisons
Gold-medal leader board: ENG 2/3 (since 2002)
Records:
Rankings
Impact on 2010 world rankings: the champion takes the world No1 slot
Impact on all-time world top 10: none
Women's 50m backstroke
Sophie Edington continued to keep Australia's golden stroke rate that tiny, critical bit ahead of England's when she retained the crown in 28.00sec, just 0.03sec ahead of Gemma Spofforth (ENG), the other woman to have already raced in the 200m final an hour before with Britain's world 100m champion, Emily Seebohm (AUS), taking shared bronze with Georgia Davies (WAL), in 28.33. Davies had withdrawn from the heats of the 200m in order to focus on the 50m and a chance at a medal. The plan paid dividends tonight.
Edington praised her teammates for the support they had given her, adding: "I couldn't have been happier with that. To beat such tough competition is fantastic. It all comes down to the start in the 50m."
Spofforth was unsure why she had not been at best in Delhi after having been on good form in Doha on camp the week before. The taper may have been a tad too long she ventured, while her desire to fight was not quite there. The messy calendar of 2010 may have taken her focus off a singular moment such as that which she will now work towards for the defense of her world crown in 2011 at Shanghai. On the Delhi dash, she said: "It was a very, very close one - I'm not happy coming second," she said. "I have to learn to use my hand, not my head, in the last 10m. I'm just going to go back to training and figure out what I'm doing wrong. Gold is always what I go for."
Davies was delighted: "I only sort of dreamt it. I didn't believe it would happen until last night when I qualified from my heat. I'm a bit gutted I didn't finish it right." All about, folk were crying, she said: "My coach is thrilled, he's almost in tears. It made me cry. All the hard work is paying off. Everyone's really happy for me. My mum's in the stand crying. I've not spoken to her yet. I can't wait to see them and finally talk." On sharing bronze with Seebohm, she noted: "She's won numerous medals so I'm sure she wasn't as bothered as me. It was probably more special for me."
The result:
Davies is the first Welshwoman to make it to the dash backstroke podium.
History in the making:
Top 3 comparisons
Gold-medal leader board: AUS 3/3 (since 2002)
Records:
Rankings
Impact on 2010 world rankings: Spofforth enters top 10 at 8
Impact on all-time world top 10: none
Men's 50m freestyle semi-finals:
In the first heat, medal hope Ashley Callus (AUS) jumped the gun and was gone. Then the start of the second semi was called back for a second start. At the surface, that shouldn't happen under FINA's one-start rule. However, when Roland Schoeman (RSA) and Simon Burnett (GBR), teammates of yore at Arizona, dropped off their blocks, the starter had heard the distracting noise in the crowd sounded at about the same time as he was to have given the off, did not give the off and felt it unfair to enforce a DQ. Gideon Louw hopes to roar in lane four, which he booked in 22.07, Brent Hayden (CAN) next through on 22.18. Cameron Prosser and Eamon Sullivan, of Australia, Schoeman, David Dunford (KEN), Burnett and England teammate Adam Brown complete the final.
