th Tuesday, 28 July 2009 - Newsletter # 111222 Swimming, Day 3: In the men’s 200m Free Phelps loses duel with Biedermann In the most awaited final (men’s 200m free) of he was in Beijing and maybe if he was in better the third day of the swimming competitions of shape he could beat me, but I’m looking After day 11 the 13th FINA World Championships, Michael forward to the next race.” Phelps (USA) lost his duel with Germany’s Paul Biedermann, who had the race of his life and Phelps himself admitted that he knew his Gold Silver Bronze TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL touched first in 1:42.00, smashing the World physical condition wasn’t prime coming into the Record (WR) established by Phelps at the 2008 meet, and that “now he knows where to start” Olympic Games in Beijing (1:42.96). when it comes to getting back into shape. RUS 7 6 3 161616 Biedermann (23 years old on August 7 and the Regarding his loss, he said “deep down inside I CHN 7 5 9 212121 fastest of the semi-finals, in 1:43.65) controlled can’t be disappointed and mad, I just can’t. Paul GER 5 2 0 777 USA 3 6 2 111111 the pace from the initial dive and arrived about swam a great race, and this result shows that to two metres ahead of the American champion swim long course you have to be in shape. I ITA 3 1 4 888 GBR 3 1 1 555 (who clocked 1:43.22). It was Phelps’ first can’t dream it,” he continued, “I wish I could, but AUS 2 4 3 999 defeat in this event at the highest level since I have to get back into physical shape.” Phelps ESP 1 6 2 999 the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, where he specified that the one meet he is looking JPN 1 0 0 111 had been third behind Ian Thorpe (AUS, gold) forward to the most is the London 2012 MEX 1 0 0 111 and Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED, Olympics; this is the meet he will keep in mind NED 1 0 0 111 second); from then, he was first in Montreal as he strives to get back into form. On losing, SRB 1 0 0 111 2005, Melbourne 2007 and Beijing 2008. he said that he had tried to pull away when it SWE 1 0 0 111 counted, and focus on his underwater – his CAN 0 1 4 555 At the “Water Cube” of the Chinese capital, strength – to take the win, but that “it just wasn’t FRA 0 1 1 222 Phelps made history by winning an working; nothing I was trying to do was DEN 0 1 0 111 unprecedented record of eight gold medals in a working.” GRE 0 1 0 111 single edition of the Games, and the 200m free TUN 0 1 0 111 had been one of the “easiest” victories of that After these strong moments, Gemma Spofforth RSA 0 0 2 222 long week for the “Kid of Baltimore” – in Beijing, (GBR, 21 years old) got the second individual BRA 0 0 1 111 Biedermann was fifth in 1:46.00. In Rome, the gold medal in the history of the championships CUB 0 0 1 111 HUN 0 0 1 111 German appeared very strong, prevailing on for her country’s female swimmers by touching MAS 0 0 1 111 Day 1 in the 400m free, also in a new World first in the 100m backstroke. Spofforth (fourth at ROU 0 0 1 111 Record time of 3:40.07. With his teammates, the 2008 Olympics) clocked 58.12, a new WR, TOTAL 363636 363636 363636 108 Phelps had also triumphed in the inaugural and an improvement over the best mark session in the 4x100m free relay. achieved by Anastasia Zueva (RUS) in the semi-final (58.48). Before this victory, only her Biedermann said afterwards that he had talked compatriot Katy Sexton had won an individual pancreatitis. “I almost decided to stop to his coach and discovered that Phelps had gold at the FINA World Championships, at the completely, but I am pretty happy tonight that I been bettered him on the start and the turns. 2003 edition in Barcelona (ESP) in the 200m didn’t,” she said. She also touched on her “The only thing I actually beat him in was the backstroke. Zueva was second in 58.18 (also experience with personal tragedy, recalling the swimming,” Biedermann said, “and I think I faster than her previous best), and the bronze death of her mother in 2007. “I have been handled it really well. I was there when he went to Emily Seebohm (AUS, 58.88). The thinking about her ever since, and it’s nice that I (Phelps) won his eighth gold in Beijing and it 2005 World champion Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), can give something to her.” Spofforth said she was really great just to live that moment…and who also took silver in this distance at the 2008 talks to the spirit of her mom before every race, now I am faster than him.” Biedermann said Olympics, finished just a surprising eighth. and that she had talked to her on the podium Phelps congratulated him after his win and that tonight. “Her dedication to swimming was he felt very honoured by the gesture. He also Spofforth later explained that her fourth place greater than my own,” she said with conviction. noted that Britta Steffen had come to him finish in Beijing had been a motivational factor before the race and said that she believed in for her, and to come out and win with the WR is In the longest duel of the day - the women’s him; that she really believed he could beat amazing. She recalled the personal difficulties 1500m free - Alessia Filippi got the second gold Phelps and that he actually thanks her for his she has overcome in order to continue her of the championships for the Italian female win. He conceded, however, that, “maybe career. Namely, in 2006, she was forced out of team, winning in 15:44.93 (a new Michael Phelps was not in the best shape like swimming and competing for a year due to championships record). Before these (RUS) in second (1:05.41) and Kassey Carlson sho wed me the red card. This disappointed me championships in Rome, Italy had only one (USA) in third (1:05.75). It was the second time because I thought he was an impartial referee.” champion among women in the history of the US swimmers won this distance at the World Serbian head coach Dejan UDOVICIC was competition: Novella Calligaris, who won the Championships, after the gold in 1998 for Kristy ecstatic after the match. “What a match! There 800m free at the first edition of the Kowal – before the “era” of Xuejuan Luo (CHN, were so many exciting moments that I am still championships in Belgrade. At the Foro Italico, victories in 2001 and 2003) and Leisel Jones holding my breath. We won by one goal but I Federica Pellegrini was best in the 200m free (AUS, 2005 and 2007). think that we deserved this victory. We proved (on Day 1, in a WR time of 3:59.15), and now to be a good team. We do not under-estimate Filippi (second in this event at the 2008 In the men’s 50m breaststroke semi-final, anyone and we do not fear anyone.” Olympics) enlarged the gold collection for her Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) was the fastest Serbia will play Croatia, who were troubled by country. The remaining medals went to Lotte qualifier with a new WR of 26.74, improving the Romania before winning 7-5. Friis (DEN, the main challenger of the Italian), mark set by Brazil’s Felipe Silva on May 9 Ratko RUDIC, Croatia’s legendary coach, said second in 15:46.30, and Camelia Potec (ROU), (26.89). The South American clocked the third the match was full of “psychological tension”. third in 15:55.63. best time, very close to his personal best “We didn’t take advantage of the six-on-five, (26.92). Van der Burgh had been third in the otherwise we would have scored more. Now we Filippi was thrilled to win in Rome, her home 100m breaststroke on Day 2. will play Serbia and we will do it to get to the city, saying she had worked very hard to arrive final.” at this result. “I was very determined; I wanted In the first semi-final of the women’s 200m free, The United States of America used a third- to have a medal here, at this venue.” Regarding Federica Pellegrini (ITA) bettered her own WR quarter, five-goal burst to dominate and her win, she felt she was better technically in by touching first in 1:53.67 – bettering the eventually beat Germany 8-5 and will play the second half of the race, and that she had 1:54.47 she had established last March in Spain, who beat Canada 11-4. wanted to start strong, but not lead, although Riccione (ITA). Noteworthy was the 16th and Spain had to come back from 4-1 down in the she didn’t want her opponents to be too far last placement of Stephanie Rice (AUS) in the second quarter to slaughter Canada with a 10- ahead either. She had felt “a lot of adrenaline, semi-finals of this event.