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Another WR For Muffat: 3:54.85 In 400 Free

Nov 24, 2012  - Craig Lord

Action is underway on day 3 at the European Short-Course Championships in Chartres, France, a nation celebrating a world record of 3:54.85 for Camille Muffat in the 400m freestyle a week after she cracked the 800m free world record and the 200m world textile standard.

There was also a world textile mark for Vladimir Morozov (RUS), champion of the 100m freestyle in 45.68.

Women's 400m freestyle

Camille Muffat (FRA) now owns the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle after cracking the world record over 400m in 3:54.85, 0.07sec inside Joanne Jackson's standard for Britain from 2009. 

The splits: 

  • Muffat: 56.24; 1:55.95; 2:56.01; 3:54.85 (29.13 on last 50m - fab, though slower than Ye Shiwen's homecoming 50m free for Olympic 400m medley crown...) 
  • Jackson: 57.29; 1:56.93; 2:56.38; 3:54.92

The writing had been on the wall all season: the Olympic 400m champion and silver medallist over 200m at London 2012, Muffat set a world record of 8:01.06 over 800m freestyle (and bypassed that event in Chartres) and clocked the world textile mark and second-best 200m free ever of 1:51.65 at French nationals last week in Angers. 

Over 400m on World Cup tour in Berlin last months, she threatened with a world textile mark and second-best ever (by 0.01sec) of 3:54.93 over 400m  freestyle but at French nationals was content just to win. In Chartres today, she wanted the win and the standard and got both.

Inside world record pace by 1.05sec at the 100m mark, she was 0.98sec inside at 200m and still 0.67sec at 250m. By 300m, the gap had narrowed to 0.37sec. The shiny suits helped folk finish faster than they ever could in textile suits but Muffat, coached by Fabrice Pellerin in Nice, today signed her name in the club of those breaking the mould. 

The silver went to Lotte Friis (DEN), the bronze to France and Coralie Balmy, in 3:58.85 and 3:59.80 respectively. Hannah Miley (GBR) was locked out in fourth but her 4:00.39 set a Scottish record, while her teammate Aimee Wilmott celebrated a best time of 4:01.89 for fifth.

Men's 100m freestyle

Vladimir Morozov, a Russian with a similar backstroke/freestyle pedigree to that of the great Alex Popov in his youth, set a world textile best of 45.68, 7th fastest all-time in any suit. His effort took down the 45.68 of Cesar Cielo (BRA) from 2010. 

The champion led from go to gold, turning in a blistering 21.34, Yannick Agnel (FRA) closest to him in 22.18, the second Russian in the race, Evgeny Lagunov third through in 22.31. Where Agnel, the Olympic 200m freestyle champion and world-leading 800m man this season, might have been expected to hit back ion the way home, he wear in fact third slowest of the podium placers. 

Morozov came home in 24.34 for his 45.68 victory, while Lagunov returned in 24.21 for a 46.52sec silver, Agnel's 24.62 homecoming effort leaving him with bronze in 46.80, a personal best time that locked Italian Luca Dotto out by 0.12sec.

Men's 1500m freestyle

Gregorio Paltrinieri, the breakthrough Italian of the year, set off in lane 7 looking like a man who wanted the 60-lap crown and by 800m was a couple of seconds down on world-record pace. With 500m to go, Sergiy Frolov (UKR) was 4sec back and travelling at the same pace as the Italian.

Paltrinieri was not about to give way and went on to a 14:27.78, for the crown as the the second Italian ever to race inside 14:30, Federico Colbertaldo having got their first at a time of shiny suits. 

The winner, now 5th best in textile and 10th best all-time in all suits, had a previous best of 14:42.16, though that was sum before Paltrinieri made big gains long-course this year. The world record of 14:10.10, Grant Hackett's 2001 standard, was never under threat, while the 14:16.13 European record set by Russian Yuri Prilukov in 2006 will also take some beating.

Frolov took silver in Chartres today in 14:30.87, the bronze going to France's Anthony Pannier in 14:41.97.

Women's 100m medley

World Cup queen Katinka Hosszu and Zsuzsanna Jakabos gave Hungary a 1-2 finish with respective efforts of 58.83 and 59.15, Britain's Siobahn-Marie O'Connor taking bronze in 59.72 for her first senior international podium finish.

The world mark of 57.74has stood to Hinkelien Schreuder (NED) since 2009, while the best textile time ever is the 58.65 of Ariana Kukors (USA) from world titles in 2010.

Men's 200m butterfly

The rhapsody continued when Laszlo Cseh dominated the long 'fly final with a 1:52.11 victory. Fourth at the 50m, 5th at the 100m, Cseh produced the only two sub 29sec splits over the last 100m of the race on his way to the lead with 50m to go and a 28.55 homecoming blast that swept his challengers into the pool of minor spoils. Those went to Viktor Bromer (DEN) in 1:53.38 and Joeri Verlinden (NED) in 1:53.47, that locking out the second Hungarian in the final, Bence Bizco, by 0.17sec.

Cseh's winning time compared to the 1:50.87 in which he took the title a year ago. 

Women's 50m backstroke

There is a punch and kick left in the 2004 Olympic 400m freestyle champion: Laure Manaudou's 26.78 victory was followed by instant speculation on twitter over whether the meet would be her swimming swansong second time round. When that question was put to her by L'Equipe of late, she neither confirmed nor denied the possibility. Manaudou also took silver in the 800m in 2004 and a bronze in the 100m backstroke at the Athens Games. Silver in Chartres today went to Sanja Jovanovic (CRO) in 26.84, the bronze to Simona Baumrtova (CZE) in 26.97.

Men's 50m breaststroke

Fabio Scozzoli gave Italy its second crown of the day in 26.18, 0.02sec ahead of Norway's Aleksander Hetland, bronze just 0.04sec further adrift, Slovenia's Damir Dugonjic keeping Florent Manaudou (FRA) at bay by 0.05sec. Good try for the Olympic 50m free champion who had just watched his big sister take the 50m back crown.

Semi-finals

Men's 100m medley

Peter Mankoc (SLO), a decade of wins in the bag, is back for more and led the way into the final in 52.84, his partner's sibling Martti Aljand (EST) next through in 53.16

Women's 100m breaststroke

Denmark's Rikke Pedersen led the way in semis in championship record of 1:04.49, next best through a 1:06.22 from Petra Chocova (CZE).

Men's 100m backstroke

France's Ben Stasiulis set the pace at 51.19 in the first semi before teammate Jeremy Stravius clocked 50.96 at the helm of the second line-up.

Women's 100m butterfly

Denmark's Jeanette Ottesen set the pace at 57.67 in the first semi before watching Italy's Ilaria Bianchi go 57.18 in the second semi. 

And so to the after-show footnote

Mixed 4x50m freestyle

France won again. Thanks to Omega for heeding the Mixt's message: Mixed it is. Can't stand the things myself - but well done for correcting the language. Good splits from Fred Bousquet, lead-off 20.97, and his bro-in-relationship, Florent Manadou, who brought Gaul's men home in 20.35 before Muffat contributed to a second gold for herself this session.