Foto Femke Heemskerk - a bridesmaid no more with a world crown last December
- by Patrick B. Kraemer
Rare to find a result sheet from a swim meet in Italy
that does not list Federica Pellegrini at the the helm of any 200m
freestyle race she has cared to enter.
Yet there it was in Milan today, at the helm
of the four-lap fight world short-course 100m champion Femke Heemskerk on
1:56.68 in lane 4, the Dutch challenger stealing an early season gain on the
2008 Olympic, 2009 and 2011 World champion and world record holder, Pellegrini
in lane 5 on 1:57.49.
Heemskerk won it from the front, Pellegrini chasing
and ending with a 59.34 closing 100m, Heemskerk’s a 1:00.11:
27.32; 56.57; 1:26.73; 1:56.68 Heemskerk
28.27; 58.15; 1:28.09; 1:57.49 Pellegrini
For Heemskerk, world No 3 slot this year as the third
women inside 1:57 after Katie Ledecky (USA) andEmma
McKeon (AUS), while Pellegrini’s effort also granted her a top 10 slot. On
the cusp of final honing and preparation for trials season, solid speed from
two of those likely to arrive at world titles this summer as podium contenders.
Women 200M Freestyle
1 01:56.16 Kathleen Ledecky USA , 17 SwimPro
Series, R2 USA, Austin
2 01:56.32 Emma McKeon AUS , 20 BHP Super Series
AUS, Perth
3 01:56.68 Femke Heemskerk NED , 27 5° Trofeo
Citta' Di Milano ITA, MIlan
4 01:57.10 Bronte Barratt AUS , 26 NSW State
Championships AUS, Sydney
5 01:57.17 Brittany Elmslie AUS , 21 NSW State
Championships AUS, Sydney
In the wake of the top two in the opening session at
the 5th Trofeo Citta di Milano came Chiara Luccetti, 2:00.64, Alice
Nesti, 2:01.12, Olympic 50 and 100m champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo, 2:01.81,
Martina de Memme 0.04sec further away.
Foto Gregorio Paltrinieri – Italian distance king and world champion –
courtesy of arena
Among other solid efforts by those hunting for glory
at world titles come August, European champion and world No 1 over 1500m free
last year, Gregorio Paltrinieri became the third man inside 15mins
this year with a 14:48.49 win over Italy teammate Gabrielle Detti, on
15:00.93 after a tight time-trial tussle.
Swift efforts a month or so out from world-title
trials in Riccione. Detti also made the season world top 5 while third-placed
Simone Ruffini made it into the top 25 with a 15:34.84.
Men 1500M Freestyle
1 14:55.76 Mack Horton AUS , 19 BHP Super Series
AUS, Perth
2 14:58.49
Gregorio Paltrinieri ITA , 21 5° Trofeo Citta' Di Milano ITA, MIlan
2 14:58.49 Mykhailo Romanchuk UKR , 18 Golden
Tour Nice FRA, Nice
4 15:00.93
Gabriele Detti ITA , 21 5° Trofeo Citta' Di Milano ITA, MIlan
5 15:10.35 Pal Joensen FAR , 24 Golden Tour,
Marseilles FRA, Marseilles
The women’s 800m freestyle went to Aurora
Ponsele in 8:32.75 ahead of Diletta Carli, on 8:37.03, both those efforts
good for places in the early season world top 20. Third home was Rita
Caramignoli in 8:43.76.
In her second season beyond shoulder surgery,
Hungarian Zsuzsanna Jakabos is starting to show good form once more,
a 2:08.07 win in the 200m butterfly lifting her into the world top 5 for the
year so far in the 200m butterfly. Next home came Italians Stefania
Pirozzi, 2:09.77, and Alessia Polieri, 2:11.67.
The first day of action also witnessed a 2:11.54win in
the 200m breaststroke from Olympic and World champion Daniel
Gyurta (HUN); and victories for Francesco Pavone, on 1:59.80 in the
200m butterfly;Gianluca Maglia on 1:49.45 in the 200m
freestyle; Elisa Celli on 2:30.43, 0.04sec ahead of Giulia
Verona in the 200m breaststroke.
But it was Heemskerk’s continued consistency in her
third year at Eindhoven and now with coach Marcel Wouda, that caught the
eye.
March 13, 2015 - Craig Lord
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