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Dugonjic Dashes To Helm Of 2013 Ranks

Apr 6, 2013  - Craig Lord

Damir Dugonjic (SLO)  leapt to the helm of the 2013 world rankings in the 50m breaststroke on the third day of finals at the Swim Cup Eindhoven in The Netherlands.

A podium contender come world titles in Barcelona this summer, the 25-year-old from Plavalna swim club took the final in a sharp 27.33, best in the world so far this year ahead of Australian Christian Sprenger's 27.38 from January. The time fell just 0.01sec shy of Dugonjic's best, from European championships a year ago. His 27.32 on that occasion is the fastest ever by a Slovenian in a textile suit but the national record and all-time No2 still stand at 27.10 and 27.19 to Matjaz Markic and Emil Tahirovic from the last season of suit assistance.

Hendrik Feldwehr (GER) took second in Eindhoven on 27.78, with Johannes Skagius (SWE) third in 28.06, 0.01sec ahead of Brit Ross Murdoch, of Stirling. 

At 43 years old, Mark Warnecke, who at 35 won the world  50m breaststroke crown at Montreal 2005 to become the oldest world swimming champion in history, is making a comeback. Racing for Essen, he finished 18th in the heats in 29.51. Brave: not to be swimming 50m breaststroke, perhaps, but to return to having to submit yourself to peeing in a bottle at 6am if the doorbell rings and so forth. Still, as you get older you have to get up in the night to pee anyway. 

Meanwhile, Ferry Weertman, KNZB-NTC, celebrated a big best time to claim victory in the 1500m freestyle: in 15:18.95, he dominated the raced and crushed his previous best of 15:41.27. On 14:58.34 in 2011, Job Kienhuis is the only Dutchman in the sub-15min club. Weertman, 20, is heading in the right direction to make it two for Holland. Henrik Christiansen, a 16-year-old from Norway, finished second in 15:40.79, the bronze going to the winner's teammate Marcel Schouten in 15:53.48. 

Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN) took the 200m butterfly in 2:07.66, off a 1:01.93 split, Jemma Lowe (GBR) with her to the last turn before fading to a 2:09.64 finish. Anja Klinar (SLO) finished third in 2:11.84.

Medley ace Hannah Miley (GBR) claimed the 400m freestyle in 4:09.59 ahead of Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED), on 4:11.18, Klinar making her second podium of the session in 4:12.36.

In the men's 200m freestyle, Dion Dreesens, racing for KNZB-NTC and leaving his teenage years behind him this year, clocked 1:47.93 to keep Robbie Renwick (GBR) at bay by 0.06sec. The young Dutchman led on 52.75 to 53.47 at half-way and held off a close late challenge as battle came to a close. Sebastiaan Verschuren took third in 1:50.17, with Ieuan Lloyd (GBR) and Dutchmen Kyle Stolk and Joost Reijns all inside 1:51.

Simon Sjödin (SWE) took the 100m butterfly in 53.26 in a close finish with Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS and the ADN Project), on 53.39, Dutchman Mike Marissen getting the touch in a tight tussle for third, his 53.70 ahead of 54.16 and 54.21 for international ADN team members Henrique Martins and Evgeny Lazuka.

Winner of the 100m breaststroke in a national record of 1:07.40 yesterday, Moniek Nijhuis, KNZB-NTC, took the dash in 31.09 this evening after a 30.99 blast in heats this morning. Dorothea Brandt (GER) followed the same pattern: 31.89 in heats, 32.09 final, while Sweden's Joline Hostman went a touch faster in the evening race, for third in 32.15.