Manchester: Mutual of Omaha/British Gas Duel in the Pool. Day 2
Fitting, poignant and ironic was the last stroke at an American Duel in the Pool demolition of Europeans in Manchester this evening: the hand that stopped the clock in the last race of the meet at 3:03.30, a world 4x100m free record by 1.68sec, was that of Michael Phelps, an iconic image in 2010-compliant textile shorts amid a sea of shiny booster bodysuits that will be banned from January 1.
The time - bettering the best of the men of Marseille from a year ago - will stand as a world record but will not stand as an American record, US officials confirmed, because suits were worn that were banned in the US from October 1. All water under the bridge anyway, for soon the shiny times will be confined to history via the return of fair play in the race pool.
Great then to end the last major international of the shiny suit era with a memory that will last long: a man in textile jammers closing the account on a USA Duel in the Pool demolition of Europeans who largely stepped up to the job at a meet they were never going to win. The final score: 185 to 78 points, a touch better than Australia fared in its first duel with the US but a drubbing for the E-Stars nonetheless. The relay mark was the 254th world record (a handful never ratified) of the shiny suits era that started in February 2008 and will end come the ban on bodysuits and non-textiles on January 1, 2010.
The silliness of suits had been on display all evening and were witnessed in 200m free and 200m 'fly races in which the Olympic champion suffered defeat in two handicap races. The 200 free defeat, this time round, saw Phelps finish behind a teammate and a different German to the one who beat him back in Rome. Phelps dug deep, he got almost as much speed and length off turns as his rivals but could not quite get the reach of the sliding crew about him. The win went to Peter Vanderkaay on 1:42.17, Benjamin Starke (GER) and his Biedermann-special, an X-Glide, clocked 1:42.86, with Phelps on 1:43.08.
Phelps admitted to feeling the pain and was asked whether he was looking forward to the end of the sad suits saga. He said: "What I'm looking forward to is to prepare myself in the best way I can for 2010 and seeing who wants to keep in shape and who wants to work harder. It's going to be more of a sport and not just people putting on the suits." As he spoke, Phelps pointed to Vanderkaay's shiny number - and the winner of the moment smiled and nodded in agreement.
The greatest Olympian also had to settle for next-best in a race that raised the roof at the Manchester Aquatics Centre when another Michael - Britain's Michael Rock - rocked the venue with a 1:51.46 victory in Superfish's signature event, the 200m butterfly.
A Loughborough law student, the 22-year-old claimed a scalp but was less successful at acknowledging the overriding reason why he had left Phelps, winner of 14 Olympic gold medals, in his wake by 1.40sec: he had taken part in a handicap race. Rock could not bring himself to name the suit he wore on his way to earning top points for the E-Stars. It was Jaked01, 100% poly and apt to provide a half-second shot in the rear per 50m depending on body type, angle of buoyancy and so on and so forth.
Rock rightly noted the hard work he has done with coach Sean Kelly at Stockport, was gracious about Phelps, and when asked if he would dine out on his win for years to come, said: "No, no. This has to be put in context." The suit then? He just couldn't say it, it seemed. It was all to do with the phase of training the swimmers found themselves in. Not the suit? He could not "speculate on the future". The future was in the next lane in the form of a man who, all being well, will defend the 200m butterfly crown at Rock's home Games in London, 2012, in a bid to become the first man ever to win the same crown at three successive Olympics.
Rock said: "It's not every day you beat Michael Phelps. I just cling on to that. It's a great experience for me, a great achievement, and it will just all be different next year. We'll all be on a level playing field and I think that will be a great thing for the sport. It's just another step on my journey looking towards the future."
Reflecting on whether he had an advantage, Rock continued: "Possibly, if you look at it that way, but I just see it as a great training swim, a mid-season swim."
Phelps was gracious and said: "I was beaten because he was more prepared than I was for this race. The race is over. He swam a better race than me, he was more prepared. I'd rather lose the races now than lose them when it really counts. These are all little baby steps to the big picture."
Earlier on, Rebecca Soni (US) set the 252nd world record of the shiny suit era in 1:02.70 over 100m breaststroke as the US extended its big lead at the Duel. The time was 0.30sec inside the world rec pace. Jessica Hardy took second in 1:04.71 and Katy Freeman giving the US another sweep in 1:05.13.
The splits compared:
- Leisel Jones (AUS): 30.05; 1:03.00
- Soni: 30.08; 1:02.70
Some return that one.
A second world record (to the winner and of the day), and 7th of the Duel, fell to Julia Smit (US), on a shiny 2:04.60 in the 200m medley. In textile, world long-course champs of 2009 and 2007, Ariana Kukors and Katie Hoff, gave the US a sweep in 2:07.87 and 2:08.37 in yet another a race that highlighted the gap between silliness and sense.
The splits compared:
- Evelyn Verraszto (HUN): 27.56; 58.78; 1:35.92; 2:04.64
- Smit: 27.22; 58.60; 1:34.54; 2:04.60
Smit's breaststroke proved decisive on the clock.
Both Smith and Soni will leave the shiny suits era as double world record holders in their specialist events, all four marks having been set here in Manchester, a city with 23 world swim records on its list in the past 20 months.
The session got underway with Rebecca Adlington, in a 2010-compliant suit, setting a blistering pace in the 800m free: 1.20sec under world record pace at 50m and by 100m, on 58.29, the double Olympic champion, sporting a 2010-compliant textile suit, was 1.53 inside shiny suit pace as Amber McDermott (US).
By 200m, The Brit was on 2:00.36, the American just 0.05sec behind, the world record 0.94sec behind the leader. At 300m the gain had narrowed, to 0.31sec, Adlington 0.38sec up. The Olympic champ then made her mind to break. By 400m, she was 0.48sec outside world record pace but on 4:03.84 had put clear water between herself and McDermott, on 4:05.57 and being caught by Kerri Anne Payne (GB). By 500m, Adlington had won, on 5:05.36, 0.96 outside shiny suit pace; by 600m, 6:07.51, 2.49 off pace; at 700m 7:09.40, 3.89 off the shiny suit world record pace but on world-record pace in textile.
The clock stopped at 8:10.59, the second-best time ever in textile behind the 8:08.00 set by Kate Ziegler (USA) in October 2007 and ahead of the time at which Laure Manaudou (FRA) had held the world record before Ziegler. A quality swim by Adlington and no question about it. Adlington is a fine technician, a factor that was lost in the wash of shiny suits back when the Olympic champion finished fourth in a sea of 100% poly suits at world champs in Rome in July.
Second went to Payne on 8:17.61 and in a 100% poly suit; McDermott, in a LZR racer 50% poly, hung on for third on 8:21.82, and Jazmin Carlin (GB) fourth in 8:21.90 and in a 2010-compliant textile suit.
The race helped the E-Stars claw back a little of a big first-day deficit to the US. The Europeans made some more headway in the men's 800m free. All in shiny suits, the race was close, though from 300m out it was clear who the winner would be: Federico Colbertaldo (ITA) said he was "very proud to be a member of this European selection" after clocking a European record of 7:31.18 ahead of Chad La Tourette (USA), on 7:33.94, which will not stand as an American record. Third place was shared by David Davies (GB) and Michael Klueh, both on 7:36.47.
The US struck back straight away, Allison Schmitt, in a Jaked01, giving the world record a scare in the 200m free, 0.5sec shy of mark on 1:51.67, with teammate Dagny Knutson on a shiny 1:53.59 and Brit Fran Halsall on a shiny 1:53.79.
Her flatmate and training partner at Loughborough Lizzie Simmonds - another placed on a smart track by former performance director Bill Sweetenham in a globe-trotting exercise of training and racing that has sadly never been repeated by Britain as yet - gave the E-Stars a lift with a 56.69 shiny blast in the 100m backstroke to keep visitor Margaret Hoelzer at bay on 57.35, third going to textile-clad world champ, Gemma Spofforth, on 57.62.
The USA was denied a sweep and a world record when Nick Thoman was DQd for a faulty turn after clocking a shiny 48.93 in the 100m backstroke. That left the result with Matt grevers ahead on 49.32, Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol on 51.25 and Liam Tancock a touch behind.
The 100m breaststroke for men secured Duel Victory for the US: Mike Alexandrov led the way in 57.18, which will not count as an American record. The USA extended its lead when Mary Mohler won the 200m 'fly in 2:04.78. Michael Rock (GB) took the 200m butterfly in a shiny 1:51.46, ahead of a textile 1:52.86 for Michael Phelps that will surely feed the shark and a 1:53.17 for Tyler McGill.
Fran Halsall (GB) gave the E-Stars a third win at the touch of her hand here at the Duel, a shiny 23.44 blast in the 50m free keeping at bay Jessica Hardy and Christine Magnuson, both US, on 24.04 and 24.05 respectively. The men's sprint free went to Nathan Adrian in what may be an American record, of 20.71. James Goddard took the last solo win for the E-Stars in a shiny national best of 1:52.62 in the 200m medley.
Winner takes on in relays - and the US surely did just that. The US women won 3:28.89, with the E-Stars clocking 3:29.90 after racing inside world-record pace until the last 100m. Had the European quartet got inside world best, the mark would not have counted as a global standard, the racers not from the same countries. The meet ended on the hand of Phelps, hero of the past decade in the race pool and for our times on the cusp of a second chance for the sport of swimming to thrill through natural talent, hard and smart work, commitment, dedication and devotion to fair play.
Where the Duel Points Were Won:
800m Free - Women
- 1. E-Stars: Rebecca Adlington (GB) - 8:10.59
- 2. E-Stars: Kerri-Anne Payne (GB) - 8:17.61
- 3. USA: Amber McDermott (USA) - 8:21.82
- Duel Tally: USA 90; E-Stars 41
800m Free - Men
- 1. E-Stars: Federico Colbertaldo (ITA) - 7:31.18 er
- 2. USA: Chad La Tourette - 7:33.94
- 3. E-Stars: David Davies (GB) 7:36.47
- 3. USA: Michael Klueh - 7:36.47
- Duel Tally: USA 94; E-Stars 47
200m free - Women
- 1. USA: Allison Schmitt - 1:51.67
- 2. USA: Dagny Knutson - 1:53.59
- 3. E-Stars: Fran Halsall (GB) - 1:53.79
- Duel tally: USA 102; E-Stars 48
200m free - Men
- 1. USA: Peter Vanderkaay - 1:42.17
- 2. E-Stars: Benjamin Starke (GER) - 1.42.86
- 3. USA: Michael Phelps - 1:43.08
- Duel Tally: USA 108; E-Stars 51
100m backstroke - Men
- 1. E-Stars: Elizabeth Simmonds (GB) - 56.69
- 2. USA: Margaret Hoelzer - 57.35
- 3. E-Stars: Gemma Spofforth (GB) - 57.62
- Duel tally: USA 111; E-Stars 57
100m backstroke - Men
- 1. USA: Matt Grevers - 49.32
- 2. USA: Aaron Peirsol - 51.25
- 3. E-Stars: Liam Tancock (GB) - 51.40
- DQ: USA: Nick Thoman - 48.93
- Duel tally: USA 119; E-Stars 58
100 breast - Women
- 1. USA: Rebecca Soni - 1:02.70wr
- 2. USA: Jessica Hardy - 1:04.71
- 3. USA: Katy Freeman - 1:05.13
- Duel tally: USA 128; E-Stars 58
100m breaststroke - Men - [USA secures Duel victory]
- 1. USA: Mike Alexandrov - 57.16
- 2. E-Stars: Fabio Scozzoli (ITA) 57.47
- 3. USA: Kevin Swander - 57.64
- Duel Tally: USA 134; E-Stars 61
200m butterfly - women
- 1. USA: Mary Mohler - 2:04.78
- 2. USA: Dana Vollmer - 2:05.34
- 3. E-Stars: Francesca Segat (ITA) - 2:05.53
- Duel Tally: USA 142; E-Stars 62
200m butterfly - Men
- 1. E-Stars: Michael Rock (GB) - 1:51.46
- 2. USA: Michael Phelps (USA) - 1:52.86
- 3. USA: Tyler McGill (USA) - 1:53.17
- Duel tally: USA 146; E-Stars 67
50m free - Women
- 1. E-Stars: Fran Halsall (GB) - 23.44
- 2. USA: Jessica Hardy - 24.04
- 3. USA: Christine Magnuson - 24.05
- Duel tally: USA 150; E-Stars 72
50m free - Men
- 1. USA: Nathan Adrian - 20.71
- 2. USA Matt Grevers - 20.93
- 3. E-Stars: Marco Orsi (ITA) - 21.12
- Duel Tally: USA 158; E-Stars 73
200m medley - Women
- 1. USA: Julia Smit - 2:04.60wr
- 2. USA: Ariana Kukors - 2:07.87
- 3. USA: Katie Hoff - 2:08.37
- Duel Tally: USA 167; E-Stars 73
200m medley - Men
- 1. E-Stars: James Goddard (GB) 1:52.62
- 2. USA: Jack Brown - 1:54.43
- 3. USA: Tyler Clary - 1:54.82
- Duel tally: USA 171; E-Stars 78
4x100m free - Women
- 1. USA - Franklin, 52.78; Magnuson 51.82; Weir, 53.31; Vollmer, 50.98 - 3:28.89
- 2. E-Stars - Halsall 51.58; Schreiber 52.24; Samulski, 52.34; Simmonds, 53.74 - 3:29.90.
- Duel Tally: USA 178; E-Stars 78
4x100m free - Men
- 1. USA: Adrian, 45.08; Grevers, 44.68; Weber-Gale, 47.43; Phelps, 46.11 - 3:03.30wr
- 2. E-Stars: Galenda, 46.67; Orsi, 45.95; Starke, 45.81; Magnini, 46.52 - 3:04.95
- Duel tally: USA 185; E-Stars 78
