If the number of world records falling can be called a flood, then tidal wave is an understatement for the figures on national records, the trend continuing at meets in Toronto, Vienna and Stockholm (and who knows what they all wore)
Toronto: Buoyed by her Blueseventy suit in at least one race and zapped ahead of herself in an LZR in at least one other race, Julia Smit (USA), fresh from that 400 medley world record on Friday, clocked a 58.90sec 100m medley at the Canada Cup - to fall just 0.1sec shy of Natalie Coughlin's world short-course mark - and in the 200m a 2:06.49 when, according to meet officials, wearing a Blueseventy. Her previous best? 2:11.45 from a couple of seasons back. Other performances in Toronto: Men: 50m free: Brent Hayden, 22.15; 50m bacl: Matthew Rose, 24.05. Women: 200m breaststroke: Annamay Pierse (CAN), 2:21.69 (Canadian record); 200m medley: ; 2. Breeden (USA), 2’11’’68.
Vienna: Randall Bal (USA) got the better of Markus Rogan (AUT) in the world short-course champion's home waters. Rogan won the 50m free in 22.57, an Austrian record, before succumbing to Bal 50.82 to 51.33 in the 100m back. And check this out for progress - in the past two seasons the best 200m butterfly of Austrian Birgit Koschischek was a 2:11.85. At the meet in Austria this weekend, the 21-year-old clocked national records of 59.30 and 2:07.54 in the 100m and 200m. The 400 and 800m free went to Jordis in national records of 4:05.99 and 8:23.31; the 50m and 200m breaststroke went to Mirna Jukic, in 31.17 and 2:22.16, while she also won the 100m medley in a national record of 1:01.59.
Stockholm: Stefan Nystrand clocked a 45.77 split on the third leg of a 4x100m free relay as he warms up for the Euro s/c champs in Croatia. The Stockholm meet also Josefin Lillehage clock 53.14 in the 100m free and a national record of 59.84 in the 100m medley. The 50m 'fly went to Therese Alshammar in 25.44, while Lovisa Ericsson set a national record of 27.42 in the 50m backstroke.
