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Muffat Menaces: On 4:02.97 (2:04 at 200m)

Jun 7, 2012  - Craig Lord

After a world textile best of 1:54.66 in the 200m free yesterday, Camille Muffat, of Nice and France, scorched a 4:02.97 victory in the 400m, leaving the fight behind her. 

How Muffat arrived at her second best ofthe season after the 4:01.13 world textile best she clocked in March was simply staggering: out in 2:04, she came home in 1:58, all part of the learning curve on the way to coping with world champion and record holder Federica Pellegrini (ITA) and defending champion Rebecca Adlington (GBR) at London 2012.

The actual splits: 1:01.09; 2:04.43; 3:04.01 (3:34.13); 4:02.97. 

The tussle for the minor spoils went to Barbara Jardin (CAN) in 4:09.46, 0.1sec ahead of Melanie Costa (ESP).

Muffat's consistency of speed this year is truly impressive: 

The best 400m performances in the world this year:

  • 4:01.13 Muffat
  • 4:02.35 Rebecca Adlington (GBR) Olympic champion
  • 4:02.97 Muffat
  • 4:03.21 Muffat
  • 4:03.40 Kylie Palmer (AUS) 
  • 4:04.01 Muffat

The best 200m performances in the world this year:

  • 1:54.66 Muffat
  • 1:54.87 Muffat
  • 1:55.04 Allison Schmitt (USA) who turned 22 today, happy birthday
  • 1:55.23 Sarah Sjostrom (SWE)
  • 1:55.40 Muffat
  • 1:55.83 Schmitt
  • 1:55.99 Bronte Barratt (AUS)
  • 1:55.99 Muffat

Muffat is also scheduled to race at the Paris Open in early July.

South African World Cup winner of 2011, Chad Le Clos came close to his season best in the 200m butterfly when he kept Brazil's Kaio Almeida at bay with a 1:55.46 to 1:56.10 triumph.

Le Clos fell a touch shy of the 1:55.30 he clocked at Olympic trials back home in April, while Almeida has also gone faster this season, a 1:55.59 last weekend in Barcelona the target to beat. The only other man inside 2mins was Jordan Coelho (FRA), on 1:58.73.

Out in lane 8, Hanser Garcia, of Cuba, caused upset in the 100m freestyle with a 48.89 victory over former world champion Brent Hayden (CAN), 49.00, and Yannick Agnel (FRA), 49.02. 

Garcia had only broken 49sec twice before, a 48.34 at Pan Ams last year a big step up from a best of 48.99 in the heats at Shanghai world titles.

His teammate Pedro Medel also triumphed today from an outside lane. Having arrived in Canet with a best time of 2:01.32 from the heats at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 as a 17-year-old, Medel goes to bed tonight with a first senior win in international global waters under his belt and a new best time for a target after a 2:00.34 victory from lane 1. 

The pacemaking of the man in lane 2 doubtless helped: Ben Stasiulis, the Frenchman who helped to keep joint 100m world champion Jeremy Stravius out of the two-lapper at London 2012 when he finished second to the other joint world champion, Camille Lacourt, at French trials in March, was there all then way - and stopped the clock in his lane just 0.04sec adrift Medel's winning moment. Third place over the other side of centre was Russian Andrei Shabasov in 2:01.39.

In other finals

Women's 200m backstroke

Elizabeth Simmonds, the Loughborough-based Brit who did not defend the 200m backstroke crown this year on her way to London 2012, was a class apart in Canet today, her 2:08.94 victory a second down on her season bet set at Olympic trials in March. Next home were Femke Heemskerk (NED) on 2:12.25 and Karin Prinsloo (RSA), on 2:12.68. European champion Alexianne Castel (FRA) was out on the edge in 2:14.40.

Women's 100m breaststroke

Five women finished the race between 1:09.44 and 1:09.96, Joline Hostman (SWE) getting her hand to the pad first, followed by Chinese teenager He Yuzhe on 1:09.51 and another from sweden, Rebecca Ejdervik, on 1:09.54.

Men's 100m breaststroke

Felipe Lima (BRA) was a league apart on 1:00.70, closet to him Giacomo Perez Dortona (FRA), 1:02.04, and Jakob Sveinsson, of Iceland, on 1:02.19.

Women's 200m butterfly

In 2:08.96, Martina Granstrom (SWE) dominated the race for victory ahead of Lara Grangeon (FRA), who pipped Audrey Lacroix 2:10.55 to 2:11.05 for silver, with the second Canadian in the front line battle, Katerine Savard, locked out on 2:11.61.

Women's 100m freestyle

A tight affair but mostly all the wrong side of 55sec, victory went to the one sprinter the right side of the mark, Amy Smith (GBR) on 54.96. Next home were Michelle Coleman (SWE), on 55.15, and Charlotte Bonnet (FRA), on 55.21, that locking out Victoria Poon (CAN), on 55.33.

Non-Olympic dash finals:

Men's 50m butterfly

Rafael Munoz (ESP) held off Nikita Konovalov (RUS) 23.59 to 23.65, with Glauber Silva (BRA) third in 23.73.

Women's 50m butterfly

Inge Dekker (NED) stormed to a dominant 25.64 victory, the time equal second best in the world this year. Winner of the 100m yesterday, Ingvild Snildal (NOR) clocked 26.35 for second, third going to Australian Marieke Guehrer in 26.57 .

Women's 50m backstroke

Another Australian winner was Sophie Edington, on 28.57 ahead of Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds, 28.62, third place going to Cloé Credeville (FRA), on 29.28.

Men's 50m backstroke

Joint world 100m champion Camille Lacourt (FRA) set a meet mark of 24.94 to pip Ben Treffers (AUS) by 0.02sec, with world dash champion Liam Tancock (GBR) third in 25.36.