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WR: Rickard Jakeds Up For 58.58 100 Breast

Jul 27, 2009  - Craig Lord

Rome 2009: Day 2

Men 100m breaststroke Final

Brenton Rickard (AUS) was the only man left standing from the Melbourne 2007 final. Regime change. New Suits Please. Two years on, the Australian stepped up in a Jaked01 that looked it was made for a midget and steamrollered his way home to win the world crown at the Foro Italico with a 58.58 blast ahead of four others who went below 59sec.

Rickard turned firth in 27.67 as Igor Borysik (UKR), who last month clocked 58.67 in a time trial that may never count as the world record, turned in the lead in 27.50. 

On the way home, Rickard sped to a 58.58 victory by passing Hugues Dubosq (FRA), silver on a European record of 58.64, and Cameron van der Burgh (RSA), bronze with an African record of 58.95. Next home: Eric Shanteau (USA), who sped from 8th to 4th on the way home, in 58.98; and Borysik, 59.23.

The splits compared:

  • Rickard: 27.76; 30.91; 58.58
  • Kitajima: 28.03; 30.88; 58.91

"I gave you the inside scoop, I don't know if I was really ready to be believed but there you go," said Rickard. "Obviously I'm really happy, as I said I came her to race. When I touched the wall I felt I had done a good race but to see I had got the wall first was another thing again. To finally have that shiney gold one around my neck after so many silvers and bronze is really something."

Rickard said he didn't want to get into the suits debate. He came to race and was not looking at the time on the board - for obvious reasons. Pity when a world record cannot be celebrated as we would wish it to be celebrated.

"I've been swimming quick all week and obviously that's a nice thing as well, but times don't really matter," he added. "Its people that win races, not times, so to come out here and get the wall first, that's really something. I just tried to do what I do best and use the speed I have as easy as I can and I felt I did that. 

"Obviously I had Cam (Van Der Burgh) next to me and he's a bit of a rocket in that first 25m. That gave me the indication that I was doing well and as long as I had something to give in that second lap, I could get over the top of him. But I couldn't really see anyone else so I had no idea what was going on."

And here is how it all fits into the Dark Ages back in Melbourne 2007:

American Brendan Hansen's 59.80 win from Melbourne would have finished - well, nowhere.

Melbourne 2007:

  • Final: 59.80 - 1:01.67
  • Inside 59: 0
  • Inside 60: 2
  • Inside 61: 5
  • Inside 62: 8

Rome 2009:

  • Final: 58.58 - 59.54
  • Inside 59: 4
  • Inside 60: 8

The all-time top 10 (with previous season best at the end of each line) coming into the race: 

  • 58.67 Borysik UKR 1:00.20
  • 58.91 Kitajima JPN 59.74 (2007)
  • 58.96 Shanteau USA 1:00.63
  • 58.98 Rickard AUS 59.65
  • 59.01 Duboscq FRA 59.37
  • 59.01 Gangloff USA 1:00.10
  • 59.03 Barbosa BRA 1:00.79
  • 59.13 van der Burgh RSA 59.96
  • 59.13 Hansen USA 59.37 (2005)
  • 59.15 Feldwehr GER 1:01.67
  • 25th: 59.90
  • 50th: 1:00.60
  • 100th: 1:01.25

All-time coming out of Melbourne 2007:

  • 59.13 Hansen USA
  • 59.53 Kitajima JPN
  • 59.94 Sludnov RUS
  • 1:00.02 Mew GBR
  • 1:00.05 Duboscq FRA
  • 1:00.06 Lisogor UKR
  • 1:00.21 Moses USA
  • 1:00.34 Dale Oen NOR
  • 1:00.37 Gibson GBR
  • 1:00.39 Rickard AUS
  • 25th: 1:01.07
  • 50th: 1:01.45
  • 100th: 1:02.00