FINA/Arena World Cup Presented by Telstra – Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre – October 25-26, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS MELLOULI THE MAN OF THE MOMENT FOR SYDNEY WORLD CUP ...............................3 STARS TO WATCH AT THIS WEEKEND’S FINA/ARENA WORLD CUP..............................4 WINNERS AND PROVISIONAL POINTSCORE......................................................................5 PROGRAM OF EVENTS..........................................................................................................7 SERIES SCORING SYSTEM...................................................................................................8 SERIES PRIZE MONEY...........................................................................................................9 FINA POINT SCORING ......................................................................................................10 COMPETITION VENUE .........................................................................................................26 PRE-BOOKED PARKING.......................................................................................................26 CASUAL PARKING ................................................................................................................26 RESULTS ...............................................................................................................................28 MEDIA INFORMATION: Media requests and information regarding the 2008 FINA ARENA Swimming World Cup should be directed to: Media Director Ian Hanson Mobile: 0407 385 160 Media Manager Brooke Hanson Mobile: 0409 932 210 Media Centre Manager Kim Hamilton Mobile: 0438 443 406 Mixed Zone Manager Sue Hanson Mobile: 0408 730 853 2 FINA/Arena World Cup Presented by Telstra – Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre – October 25-26, 2008 MELLOULI THE MAN OF THE MOMENT FOR SYDNEY WORLD CUP By Ian Hanson All eyes will be on Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli at this weekend’s FINA/ARENA World Cup after the popular Tunisian arrived in Sydney this week for the third leg of the Series, to be presented by Telstra. The man who denied Grant Hackett of Olympic immortality in Beijing, has already chalked up eight wins during the first two rounds in Belo Horizonte and Durban. He is entered in six events at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre – the 200, 400 and 1500metres freestyle and the 100, 200 and 400m individual medley. The Sydney opposition will be some what stiffer in some events than the first two rounds with Australian youngsters Robert Hurley and Ryan Napoleon certain to push the 1500m Olympic champion over 400m freestyle. AIS-based Hurley, from Wests Illawarra, won five events at the recent Telstra Australian Championships in Melbourne, including the 400 metres freestyle, while Napoleon was victorious over 200m at last week’s 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune. The 1500m will see Trent Grimsey line up against Mellouli for the second time in a month after the young Albany Creek distance swimmer upset all-comers to win the Tiburon Mile in San Francisco bay. Grimsey left a class field in his wake, including open water stars Thomas Lurz and world open water champion Vladimir Dyatchin. In the highly anticipated race of pool and open water stars, Grimsey immediately shot out to the front and took his own line across the 1.2-mile channel from Angel Island to the City of Tiburon just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. A pack of Lurz, Dyatchin, Brendan Capell of Australia and Mellouli took a different conservative line to the finish, all drafting off each other, but they couldn't chase down the smooth-swimming Grimsey, who finished third to Grant Hackett and Craig Stevens over 1500m in this year’s Telstra Olympic Trials. While Mellouli may be the biggest name attending this weekend’s event there will be plenty of interest surrounding the Australian contingent, especially two of the stars from Belo Horizonte and Durban – FINA Pointscore leaders Marieke Guehrer and Christian Sprenger. Guehrer will contest the 50 and 100 metres butterfly and freestyle, while Sprenger will tackle his specialist 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke. The butterfly clashes between Guehrer and FINA World Short Course Champion, Felicity Galvez, will be a highlight, as will Sprenger’s clash with Olympic team mate and dual silver medallist Brenton Rickard. Guehrer leads the women’s pointscore on 50 points and only has to continue her good form to increase that lead before the Singapore and tougher European legs. Behind her is 2007 winner Therese Alshammar (SWE), with 29 points and her compatriot Josefin Lillhage is third on 27 points. Sprenger's second place finish in the 50m breaststroke (26.74) in Durban gained him 980 points and gave him the second-place overall and he now leads the overall ranking with 45 points, while Durban 50m breaststroke winner Cameron de Burgh (RSA) has 25 points and Randall Bal (USA), winner of the 50m and 100m backstroke in Durban is third with 23 points. Alshammar, Lillhage, de Burgh and Bal have not entered for the Sydney meet which has attracted a host of Australia's Beijing team, including Alice Mills, Cate Campbell, Galvez, Bronte Barratt, Nick Ffrost, Pat Murphy and Rickard. Points are calculated on the FINA Pointscores and the top three performances at each meet are then awarded 25, 20 and 16 points respectively. Both Guehrer and Sprenger will contest the rest of the Series. 3 FINA/Arena World Cup Presented by Telstra – Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre – October 25-26, 2008 STARS TO WATCH AT THIS WEEKEND’S FINA/ARENA WORLD CUP Ian Hanson runs his microscope over the fields and has come up with ten swimmers to watch over what is sure to be an exciting weekend at the third round of the FINA/ARENA World Cup presented by Telstra at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. OUSSAMA MELLOULI (Tunisia): Olympic champion over 1500 metres freestyle in Beijing, who has spent six years at the University of Southern California. Has already chalked up eight wins in the opening two round of the FINA/ARENA World Cup. Will be the one to watch in the 400 and 1500m freestyle and the 400m individual medley. STEFAN NYSTRAND (Sweden): An Olympic finalist in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle and the world record holder for 100 metres freestyle short course. The winner of the 50 metres freestyle in round two of the World Cup in Durban. Looks the man to beat in the 50 and 100m freestyle. MARIEKE GUEHRER (Australia): The Athens Olympic backstroker is showing her flip side and is certainly proving to be a smash hit in butterfly and freestyle, chalking up five victories already in the opening two rounds of the World Cup. The current Series leader who will be hard to keep at bay in the butterfly sprints. CHRISTIAN SPRENGER (Australia): The voice of the Australian Swimming team song during the Beijing Games who has struck a chord in the opening World Cup rounds, winning the 50, 100 and 200 metres breaststroke treble in Belo Horizonte before winning the 200m in Durban. Leads the men’s World Cup standings but fasces Olympic team mate Brenton Rickard in Sydney. ELLEN FULLERTON (Australia): The talk of the town after her medley treble at the Telstra Australian Short Course Championships in Melbourne, winning the 100, 200 and 400 IMs and erasing Stephanie Rice and Brooke Hanson’s names from the record books. Will be the one to beat in the medleys as she chases her first World Cup medals. ROBERT HURLEY (Australia): Faces up to Oussama Mellouli in the 400m freestyle after winning the event at this year’s Telstra Australian Championships. Also chasing podium finishes in the 100 and 200 metres backstroke and 200m freestyle. A card sharp who will look to come up trumps. BRONTE BARRATT (Australia): A member of Australia’s all-conquering 4x200m freestyle relay team from Beijing, who is back chasing more medals in the Sydney World Cup in the 200 and 400 metres freestyle. Only one of two Australians to crack the four-minute barrier for 400m freestyle. LEITH BRODIE (Australia): Out of the same John Rodgers stable as Bronte Barratt who is Australia’s best IM exponent and will be hard to beat over the 100 and 200 medley, where he will also meet Oussama Mellouli. MATT JAUKOVIC (Australia): The surprise packet of the Telstra Australian Championships, with his Australian All-comers records in the 50 and 100 metres butterfly. Came close to the world record in the 50 metres butterfly to earn a place on the Australian team for the European World Cup legs. JADE EDMISTONE (Australia): One of the fastest sprint breaststrokers in the world who won the World Short Course Championship over 50m in Shanghai in 2006 and the World Long Course Championship over 50m in Montreal in 2005. On the comeback trail after a switch of coaches in 2008. The one to watch in the 50 and 100m breaststrokes. 4 FINA/Arena World Cup Presented by Telstra – Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre – October 25-26, 2008 WINNERS AND PROVISIONAL POINTSCORE FINA/ARENA SWIMMING WORLD CUP 2008 UPDATE OF EVENTS 1st Meet – October 10-12, 2008 in Belo Horizonte (BRA) WINNERS WOMEN (W) MEN (M) 50m free Brooke Bishop (USA) 24.66 Cesar Cielo Filho (BRA) 21.32 100m free Marieke Guehrer (AUS) 53.27 Cesar Cielo Filho (BRA) 47.18 200m free Josefin Lillhage (SWE) 1:57.05 Oussama Mellouli (TUN) 1:44.58 400m free Katheryn Meaklim (RSA) 4:14.95 Armando Negreiros (BRA) 3:45.78 800m free (W) Katheryn Meaklim (RSA) 8:49.76 - 1500m free (M) - Oussama Mellouli (TUN) 15:16.43 50m backstr. Fabiola Molina (BRA) 27.60 Randall Bal (USA) 23.87 100m backstr. Fabiola Molina (BRA)