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Magnuson & Lochte On Top Of The World
Aug 4, 2010 - Craig Lord
Christine Magnuson and Ryan Lochte rocketed their way to the helm of the world rankings over 100m 'fly (57.32) and 400m medley (a dominant 4:09.98) respectively at 2010 USA ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine California within the past couple of hours.
The first session of the meet produced some fabulous racing and saw the 400m free crowns go to Katie Hoff and Peter Vanderkaay, the 200m medley to Ariana Kukors in a thrilling scrap with Caitlin Leverenz, Morgan Scroggy and Melissa Franklin, all four home within a 1.15sec band, and Mike Alexandrov kept Mark Gangloff at bay by a whisker in the 100m breaststroke.
The suits are gone, so too has some of the speed and the back end float, but at the surface once more are racing and the skills and speed of the swimmer untempered by a prop.
Day 1 finals:
Women's 100m butterfly
Christine Magnuson (Ford AZ), Olympic silver medallist in 2008, turned the tables on Dana Vollmer, No1 American in 2009, in a race that saw the two rivals race practically stroke for stroke. Margunson was out in 26.82, 0.1sec ahead of Vollmer, the champion back in 30.50, to 30.53 for Vollmer. The heat produced gold and silver in 57.32 and 57.45. Thus did Magnuson also depose Vollmer at the helm of the world rankings, Vollmer's best from the LA grand prix last month a 57.39. The bronze went to Kathleen Hersey in 58.15, with Olympic 100m backstroke champion Natalie Coughlin on 58.31 and working her way back to a 2007 best of 57.34 after a year out of the battle in 2009. Coughlin was up with the leaders at the turn, on 26.94 but her back end is not quite where it used to be as yet, her 31.37 the return the slowest of the final. And a tight final it was too: a touch behind Coughlin was Felicia Lee, her 58.44 at the helm of four women separated by a stroke, last in on 59.28. The loss of shiny suits has not dented competition and the thrill of the race but it has changed the back end: Magnuson is better this year than last in terms of opening speed, but a look at Rome 2009 reveals that she and Vollmer today matched the slowest homecoming split in the world titles final last year.
Magnuson told reporters, with a nod to the pressure from Vollmer: "I don't know how far ahead I was, but I knew she wasn't going to give me anything in the last 15 metres. "I think me and Dana can really do some damage at Pan Pacs [later this month] and worlds next year."
US nationals 2010: 57.32; 57.45; 58.15; 58.31; 58.44
US top 5 in 2009: 56.94; 57.15; 57.46; 57.77; 58.36
US Top 5 in 2007: 57.34; 57.60; 58.35; 58.56; 58.93
Men's 400m freestyle
Peter Vanderkaay (CWMI) hoisted himself up to 6th in the world this year with a 3:46.88 victory wrought in classic style of third 100m attack. Up to half-way, Vanderkaay had company in Michael Klueh, the two turning 0.01sec apart, the championh-to-be first to post, at 1:52.51. Vanderkaay then blasted a 28.37 lap, Klueh's 29.17 hinting that he was unable to respond. Confirmation came with every passing split, 28.86, 28.73, 28.41 for the leader, 29.63, 29.28 and then the best homecoming lap in the final, 27.64, for the chaser. Too late. At least for victory. The third 100m saw Charlie Houchin get ahead of Klueh, with Chad La Tourette close and closing in but homecoming determination saved the day for the early challenger for gold, Klueh home in 3:48.24, Houchin third in 3:48.30, La Tourette on 3:48.76. No others made it below 3:50, the last man home in 3:53.23.
"That’s the fastest I’ve ever been in jammer," Vanderkaay said. "I didn’t know where I’d stand coming into this event time-wise, so I’m pretty happy with that effort."
US nationals 2010: 3:46.88; 3:48.24; 3:48.30; 3:48.76; 3:51.38
US top 5 in 2009: 3:43.20; 3:45.95; 3:46.93; 3:47.50; 3:47.51
US Top 5 in 2007: 3:45.04; 3:45.55; 3:47.13; 3:47.53; 3:49.03
Women's 200m medley
World champion in 2009, Ariana Kukors (FAST) was never expected to reproduce that 2:06.15 world-record pace (it could be years) but she did stay at the top of the pile in the US, on 2:10.54, courtesy of a freestyle decider with Caitlin Leverenz, who took silver in 2:10.84, the bronze going to Morgan Scroggy in 2:11.25 in a final in which 2sec split the top 6. The splits tell the tale of the front end battle, Leverenz's breaststroke strength almost good enough to cause upset. Scroggy was left wanting on breaststroke but if she can make improvements there, watch out: she came home in 30.52, while her 'fly and back splits compare well with those of Kukors; similar might be said of Melissa Franklin, 4th in 2:11.69.
The race unfolding:
That left the two Elizabeths, Beisel and Pelton, 5th and 6th, in 2:12.11 and 2:12.58, Teresa Crippen and Julia Smit bringing the final home in 2:13.48 and 2:14.01.
Kukors noted the storm surrounding her time in Rome when she told reporters: "The 2:06 and the whole worlds experience was something I'll never forget. But I got so much criticism for that time." She now gauges her best according to her pre-suit best... and on that note, she's doing just fine, though Sean Hutchinson, her coach, she said, had spotted "some errors" that need to be ironed out in time for a more efficient and thus speedier moment at Pan Pacs.
US nationals 2010: 2:10.54; 2:10.84; 2:11.25; 2:11.69; 2:12.11
US Top 5 in 2009: 2:06.15; 2:09.34; 2:10.79; 2:11.03; 2:11.46
US Top 5 in 2007: 2:10.13; 2:12.13; 2:12.32; 2:12.99; 2:13.69
Men's 100m breaststroke
Michael Alexandrov (Ford AZ) jumped from 8th in the world this year in the morning heats to 4th by close of play as he claimed the US crown in 1:00.26 off the best turn time in the field, 28.24. Mark Gangloff was just 0.03sec away at half-way and was close all the way to silver in 1:00.42, the bronze going to Eric Shanteau, the 200m man who produced the best return, of 31.84. That left the champion's clubmate Marcus Titus as the last man inside 1:01, on 1:00.93, Kevin Swander bringing the eight home in 1:01.90. The win would have placed 7th in the US alone last year. In common with events around the world, sub minute swimmers of last summer are struggling to get inside 1:01. Water off the back of a shiny suit - for the racing, the thrill of the sport, remains, the soaring moments when records are cracked rare once more in accordance with their nature. The champ, who switched sporting allegiance from his native Bulgaria in 2008, summed up: "This is definitely a breakthrough for me."
US nationals 2010: 1:00.26; 1:00.42; 1:00.75; 1:00.93; 1:01.69
US Top 5 in 2009: 58.96; 59.01; 59.40; 1:00.00; 1:00.10
US Top 5 in 2007: 59.59; 1:00.24; 1:00.82; 1:01.04; 1:01.17
Women's 400m freestyle
Down on 4:02s in 2008 on her way to the US title and then the Olympic silver, Katie Hoff (FAST) is a few short strokes away from best on the clock but after a battle to stick with it in 2009, she is a champion once more. after a fine 4:05.50 victory that brought her to equal 4th on the 2010 world rankings with the woman who pipped her for the crown in Beijing, Rebecca Adlington (GBR). After the first 50m, when she turned third, Hoff led until she stopped the clock in a cracking race for the podium. Company was to be found in the form of Allison Schmitt and Chloe Sutton, who would end up with silver and bronze respectively on 4:06.19 and 4:06.33. Aquatic triplets of pace throughout the race, Hoff turned in 2:00.61 at half-way, Schmitt managing to split in second for the first time in the race, on 2:01.29, with Sutton slipping to third in 2:01.67. By the last turn, the race was strung out a little, with Hoff about 1sec up on Schmitt, who was about 1sec up on Sutton. The last length was a cliffhanger, the chase for gold faster from the back: Hoff came home in 31.51, Schmitt on 31.00 and Sutton .... 30.01. That left Dagny Knutson on 4:08.80, just 0.04sec up on a woman building back to best, Kate Ziegler, Hoff's training partner at FAST, the final all home in 4:13.26.
For Hoff, the swim and win marks a return to confidence. Reports in the US speak still of "failed to win gold in Beijing" and "failed to make it to Rome". Hoff took home a silver and two bronze medals from Beijing and put in performances that many would have been only too thrilled to have matched. But expectation was in outer space back in 2008 and Hoff was described in caricature fashion as "the female Phelps". She has found a happier place. In Irvine, she told reporters: "Being able to have the times that I did going into this meet kicks it off in a great way for me. I don't think I'd be in as great a state as I am right now if I hadn't had that kind of breakthrough meet. There's people in the world who've been faster, but I think I'm getting there."
Now training at Fullerton, California, with Sean Hutchison, Hoff does not look back in anger nor with regret. "I don't really take anything back. As difficult as last year was, I learned a lot about myself and about what works for me. I don't think I would've known until I tried it. I've grown a lot, I'm a completely different person than I was in 2008." A student at Chapman University in Orange, Hoff added: "I've learned a lot about what works for me and what I kind of need to do to take the next step."
She skipped the 200 medley today but may yet race the 400m, three years after she took world titles in both medleys at Melbourne. "That's still one race that just really fills me with dread and makes me not enjoy the meet," said Hoff through laughter.
US nationals 2010: 4:05.50; 4:06.19; 4:06.33; 4:08.80; 4:08.84
US top 5 in 2009: 4:02.51; 4:07.20; 4:07.28; 4:08.18; 4:09.60
US Top 5 in 2007: 4:04.24; 4:04.60; 4:09.01; 4:10.99; 4:11.11
Men's 400m medley
Quality and experience will out, and Ryan Lochte (DBFSL), under pressure from teammate Tyler Clary for gold in Rome last summer (both men on 4:06 in the season, 4:07 in Rome for gold and silver), asserted his authority in style at Irvine today with a dominant 4:09.98 victory that out him at the top of the world tree in 2010 as the only sub-4:10 swimmer and left his young rival trailing on 4:14.12, bronze going to Robert Margalis on 4:15.62.
Lochte, who recently sustained a groin strain and was unsure whether to race the medleys in an effort to avoid doing further damage on breaststroke, told reporters in Irvine: "My groin didn't hurt. I said 'If it's not hurting now, let's push it'." He did so and found that all was well. "I was like, 'Man, I think I've got something'." Asked about his preparations, Lochte, who turned 26 this week and celebrated the moment today by turning up to his blocks in sparkling green shoes, said: "I've done the work, it's just a matter of putting it together."
Clary led on 'fly (by 0.08), back (by 0.78), slipped 1.24 behind Lochte on breaststroke and collapsed on freestyle, with Margalis making up almost 1.5sec on the last 100m. The splits show where Lochte sealed the deal:
Clary's splits tell the tale of a back-end much altered. Here's Roma09: 55.58; 1:57.60; 3:10.37; 4:07.31. Front end, very similar, breaststroke more than 1sec down, freestyle 56.94 last year to 1:02.13 today. Different races, different circumstances, of course, but stark nonetheless.
US nationals 2010: 4:09.98; 4:14.12; 4:15.62; 4:17.03; 4:17.45
US Top 5 in 2009: 4:06.40; 4:06.96; 4:12.48; 4:12.58; 4:13.34
US Top 5 in 2007: 4:06.22; 4:09.74; 4:12.94; 4:14.75; 4:16.29
Today European time and tomorrow California time, day two at nationals sees Michael Phelps put to the test in the 200m freestyle at the start of the session and the 200m butterfly at the end of it.
