The Hindu : Sport / Swimming : Filho wins 100m freestyle gold

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Sport - Swimming

Filho wins 100m freestyle gold

Jing claims women’s 50m backstroke title; Chinese reign

— PHOTO: AP

TOP GUN: Brazil’s Cesar Cielo Filho exults after winning the men’s 100m freestyle gold at the World championships in Rome on Thursday.

ROME: Brazil’s Cesar Cielo Filho smashed the World record to snatch gold in the men’s 100 metres freestyle final at the World swimming championships here on Thursday.

The Brazilian swam 46.91 seconds to beat the absent Eamon Sullivan’s Beijing Olympic time of 47.05.

Olympic champion and favourite Alain Bernard was second with French compatriot Frederick Bousquet third.

“I think the three of us took swimming to a new level. I did it,” Cielo Filho said.

“In the last minute I couldn’t feel my legs or my hands, but I just knew what I had to do,” said Cielo, who fought back tears on the medal stand, finally breaking down as the sympathetic crowd’s cheers escalated.

“He’s a great competitor and it’s always good to race people who have the fairplay he has,” he said of Bernard.

Bernard settled for silver in 47.12, and France’s Frederick Bousquet, the 50m freestyle world record-holder, was third in 47.25.

Lochte is champion

American Ryan Lochte won the men’s 200m individual medley title in a World record time of 1min 54.10sec.

Lochte broke the previous record of 1:54.23 set by teammate Michael Phelps in winning Olympic gold in Beijing on August 15, 2008.

Hungarian Laszlo Cseh was second in 1:55.24 and American Eric Shanteau third in 1:55.36.

Schipper sets record

Australian Jessicah Schipper won the women’s 200m butterfly title in a World record time of 2min 03.41sec.

Schipper broke the previous record of 2:04.14, set in the heats here on Wednesday by American Mary Descenza.

China’s Olympic gold medallist Liu Zige was second in 2:03.90 and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu was third in 2:04.28.

China’s Zhao Jing won the women’s 50m backstroke title in a World record time of 27.06sec.

Zhao broke the previous record of 27.38sec set by Anastasia Zueva in the semifinals.

China won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay title in a World record time of 7min 42.08sec. The quartet of Yang Yu, Zhu Qian Wei, Liu Jing and Pang Jiaying broke the previous record of 7:44.31 set by Australia at the Beijing Olympics. The United States was second and Britain third.

The results (all finals): Men: 200m individual medley: 1. Ryan Lochte (U.S.) 1 min 54.10s (WR); 2. Laszlo Cseh (Hun) 1:55.24; 3. Eric Shanteau (U.S.) 1:55.36.

100m freestyle: 1. Cesar Cielo Filho (Bra) 46.91s (WR); 2. Alain Bernard (Fra) 47.12; 3. Frederick Bousquet (Fra) 47.25.

Women: 200m butterfly: 1. Jessicah Schipper (Aus) 2min 03.41s (WR); 2. Liu Zige (Chn) 2:03.90; 3. Katinka Hosszu (Hun) 2:04.28.

50m backstroke: 1. Zhao Jing (Chn) 27.06s (WR); 2. Daniela Samulski (Ger) 27.23; 3. Gao Chang (Chn) 27.28.

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