The Austin Grand Prix witnessed some swift efforts on day two, with Matt Grevers clocking 53.05 in the 100m backstroke and Rebecca Soni, off one session of training a day this season, a 1:06.43 in the 100m breaststroke. Both those efforts were meet records.
Grevers, Olympic silver medallist coached by Frank Busch and Rick Demont at Tuscon Ford, enjoyed a sizeable win over Aaron Peirsol, Olympic champ, and Nick Thoman, word s/c record holder, on 54.34 and 54.59 respectively. Great start to textile 2010 for Grevers: he was just 0.23 sec off his 2009 best and now leads the 2010 world ranks ahead of Ryosuke Irie (JPN), on 53.32, with Liam Tancock (GBR) third in 53.84.
Soni had already swum the 400m medley final when she took on training partner at coach Davbe Salo's California squad, Jessica Hardy, on breaststroke. At the halfway point, Hardy held the lead but Soni steamed home as Hardy faded on the way home to finish in a solid 1:07.72, to Megan Jendrick's 1:08.83 and going strong almost 10 years after claiming the Olympic crown in Sydney (Quann). Soni now ranks second to Lethal Jones this year, the Australian Olympic champ on 1:05.85.
World 200m medley champ Ariana Kukors, coached by Sean Hutchison, claimed the 400m win in 4:37.63 in a tight tussle with training partner and 2007 double world champion Katie Hoff, on 4:38.59. Justine Mueller was third in 4:46.80. Kukors and Hoff lead the early 2010 world ranks ahead of Olympic champion Stephanie Rice (AUS), on 4:40.37.
The women's race saw Olympic champ Natalie Coughlin make her competitive comeback in her vest event with a 1:01.08 win ahead of Henriette Stenkvist, on 1:02.11, and 2007 world 200m champion Margaret Hoelzer, on 1:02.22.
Robert Margalis added the 400m medley to his success card at the grad prix with a comfortable win in 4:21.14.
Mike Alexandrov clocked 1:01.46 to take the 100m breaststroke ahead of. Mark Gangloff, on 1:01.84, while the 200m free went to Peter Vanderkaay in 1:48.51, ahead of Michael Klueh, 1:49.24, and Britain's Simon Burnett, 1:51.72. Dana Vollmer took the women's race in 1:58.62.
