SWC 2011, Dubai day 2: Chad Le Clos (RSA) collects three more gold medals

Marco Koch (GER) shone three times in the breaststroke events: after the 50m and 200m on the first day, he won the 100m breaststroke in 59.07 ahead of Japan's Yuma Kosaka (1:00.13) and US Nelson Westby (1:00.34), who also got its third bronze medal in this stroke.

One of the nicest surprises of the second day was the victory of the Hong Kong swimmers in the men’s 200m free men and women’s 100m individual medley. David Wong Kai Wai (sixth in the prelims) touched first in 1:46.70 (he was fourth at the 150m-mark from the finish), narrowly beating Italian Samuel Pizzetti (1:46.73) and the young Swedish revelation (19 years old) Gustav Aaberg Lejdstroem (1:47.16).

His teammate Yu Sze Hang was also the fastest in the 100m individual medley (1:01.53), ahead of Sweden’s Louise Hansson (1:01.66) and Russia's Yulia Efimova (1:02.05).

During the morning session, Italy’s Samuel Pizzetti (already winner of the 400m free), did not miss the opportunity to win the 1500m in 14:56.85. He advanced by more than seven seconds the Ukrainian Sergii Frolov (15:04.49) and his compatriot Federico Colbertaldo (15:19.21), who finished fourth at the 2011 Worlds in Shanghai.

Granlund shines twice
In the women’s 100m free, 2010 world champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) has improved the world best time of the year in 52.88, and took revenge on her teammate Marleen Veldhuis (53.97), who had triumphed in the 50m. The third place went to Yu Sze Hang (HKG) in 54.27. In the end of the session, Kromowidjojo (26.08) and Veldhuis (26.02) switched positions in the 50m butterfly, with amazing Yu Sze Hang getting another bronze medal (26.98).

Four other swimmers have successfully got double victories in their respective strokes: Russia’s Daryna Zevina (17 years old), who had already won the 200m backstroke,  imposed her superiority in the 100m (58.18), ahead of Miyuki Takemura (JPN, 58.75) and Simona Baumrtova (CZE, 59.94). Then the Japanese Izumi Kato (4:34.52) and Masafumi Yamaguchi (24.17), brilliant winners in the women’s 400m IM and men’s 50m backstroke, respectively. The silver medals went to Czech Barbora Zavadova (4:36.84 in the 400m IM) and to Sweden’s Kristina Kron (25.99 in the 50m backstroke), while the bronze medals were obtained by Slovenian Spela Bohinc (16 years old, 5:00.52 – winner of the 800m free on Day 1) and local swimmer Humaid Al Ghaferi (26.08). The fourth swimmer to have a “double” win was China’s Xiaoyu Liu in the women’s 50m breaststroke (30.52). She was faster than Yulia Efimova (RUS, 30.75) and Rebecca Edjervik (SWE, 31.20). Also in breaststroke, in the women’s 200m, China confirmed its supremacy in this stroke by getting all medals on offer: Rong Fan (2:22.58, gold), Xiaoyu Liu (2:23.69, silver) and Yuele Wu (2:23.91, bronze).

The men’s 50m free was a thrilling race, in which Hungarian Krisztian Takacs and Kenyan Jason Dunford shared the gold in 21.78 in front of Ukraine’s Andrii Govorov (21.93), the 2010 European Championships bronze medallist.

Sweden's Petra Granlund (two silver and a bronze on the opening day) finally tasted victory in the second day by winning the 200m butterfly in 2:09.71 and the 400m free in 4:15.53. In the shortest event, she was faster than Ukrainian Daryna Zevina (2:13.57) and Slovenian Spela Bohinc (2:16.67). In the freestyle race, she beat Slovenia’s Tanja Smid (4:17.72) and again Bohinc (4:21.93). The latter left Dubai with four medals (in the 400m and 800m free, 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley).

The best performances in Dubai were:

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