example-image
Connect with Us:  

Hosszu's $150,000 Encore: Double Gold

Nov 22, 2012  - Craig Lord

Hungarian World Cup queen followed up a $150,000-plus season of prize-winning on tour with a brace of gold medals as action got underway on day one at the European Short-Course Championships in Chartres. First up, she pipped Britain's Hannah Miley 2:05.78 to 2:06.21in the 200m medley and then added the 200m butterfly crown in precisely the same time, 2:05.78, less than 20 minutes later (12mins 50sec in fact) 0.31sec ahead of Italy's Stefania Pirozzi.

The session witnessed the birth of a new Dutch star in the making: the daughter of 1984 Olympic 200m backstroke champion Jolanda de Rover, Kira Toussaint, set a national record of 57.16 in the semis of the 100m backstroke.

Men's 400m freestyle

A week after taking down the world record in 3:32.25, Olympic 200m free champion Yannick Agnel (FRA) was able to swim more than a second per 100m slower for victory in the home little pool in Chartres, his 3:37.54 more than a second per 100m ahead of the best of those who followed him. The minor spoils went to Italians Gabriele Detti and Andrea D'Arrigo in 3:41.66 and 3:42.32 respectively.

Men's 200m backstroke

Radoslaw Kawecki (POL) led from start to a 1:48.51 championship record ahead of Hungarian Peter Bernek, 1:49.41, and home favourite Ben Stasiulis, on 1:51.81. The meet mark had stood to Stanislav Donets (RUS) since 2009, while the world and European record stands at 1:46.11 to another Russian, Arkady Vyatchanin, from a time of shiny suits. Kawecki's Polish record, inside his previous standard of 1:49.13 from 2010, moves him up from 8th to 5th fastest all-time.

Women's 200m medley

World Cup queen and winner of the $100,000 prize on tour this year, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) overhauled Hannah Miley (GBR) in the battle for the end wall for a 2:05.78 to 2:06.21 victory. Miley's time established a British record and kept her ahead of world cup bridesmaid Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN), on 2:06.66, the second Brit in the final the only other sub-2:10 in the final, in a best time of 2:08.86.

Miley, last after butterfly, moved up to 4th on backstroke, took the lead on breaststroke, her 1:36.48 split leaving her 0.22sec ahead of Hosszu but the Hungarian came home in 29.08, to 29.73 for the Brit.

The world mark of 2:04.60, a 2009 effort from American Julia Smit, remains way out ahead, as does the 2:04.64 European mark of Hungarian Evelyn Verraszto, holder of the European championship record. Hosszu moved up from 12th all-time to 5th, Miley moving up from 11th to 10th.

Women's 200m butterfly

Hosszu was back within 20 minutes to snatch a second crown, a 2:05.78 slower than her 2:04.80 morning heats swim but good enough to get her past the first of two Italians challenging for gold: Stefania Pirozzi took silver in 2:06.09 after leading the way at the 150m mark, while bronze went to Alessia Polieri in 2:06.63, after she lead the way at the 50m and 100m marks. Jakabos clocked 2:08.74 for fourth.

Men's 200m medley

Hungary celebrated three straight gold medals when Lazslo Cseh dominated in 1:52.74, after taking the lead on breaststroke. Jeremy Stravius (FRA), having led on butterfly and backstroke, pout in a 50m breaststroke split that was 2.1sec slower than than Hungarian's but held on for silver in 1:54.00, Gal Nevo (ISR) taking bronze in 1:55.14, 0.2sec ahead of Portugal's Diogo Carvalho. 

Cseh stayed at 10th all-time by shaving 0.11sec off his own Hungarian record. Stravius's second reward: a French record inside his own 1:55.46 standard.

Men's 50 free 

Olympic dash champion Florent Manaudou (FRA) had given warning in 20.77 in the semi at the start of the session and withstood the pressure of the moment in front of a home crowd with a 20.70 title-winning blast 

Russia's Vladimir Morozov, on 20.79, clocked 20.89 for silver, the bronze going in 20.97 to the champion's bro-through-partnership, Fred Bousquet, father of Florent's niece Manon, daughter of Laure. Two prizes for France, the rest of the final over 21.5.

The world record stands well out of reach, at 20.30, Bousquet the European record holder at 20.52 from a time of shiny suits, while Manaudou moves up to 6th equal all-time on the clock and second-best in textile behind Brazilian Cesar Cielo's world-title winning 20.51 from 2010.

Women's 50m breaststroke

Petra Chocova (CZE) took the title in 30.02, the minor spoils going to Rikke Pedersen (DEN) in 30.25 and Ireland's Sycerika McMahon in 30.34.

Men's 4x50m medley

France's Stravius, Giacomo Dortona, Bousquet and Manaudou took gold in 1:32.25, Russia and the Czech republic following the hosts home in an event swum only at continental level.

Women's 4x50m freestyle

Denmark's Ottesen, Kelly Rasmussen, Julie Levisen and Pernille Blume pip Finland 1:38.10 to 1:38.13 for gold, Blume splitting 24.44 to former world 100m champion Hanna-Maria Seppala's 24.54 to make the difference on the last leg. The bronze goes to Belarus in 1:38.29.

Semi-finals

Women's 100m backstroke

Kira Toussaint, an 18-year-old on the move, had a best short-course 100m back of 59.08 coming into this season. Her new best is a Dutch record of 57.16, set in the second semi. In heats, she clocked 57.98, taking her close to Femke Heemskerk's 57.72, a national standard no more. Toussaint takes lane 5 for the final, the spotlight on Daryna Zevina (UKR), on 57.10 in thee first semi.

Men's 100m butterfly

After Olympic medallist Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) went 51.06 in the first semi, Spain's Rafael Munoz laid down the gauntlet with a 50.68 to claim lane 4 for the final.

Men's 100m breaststroke

Italy's Fabio Scozzoli led the second semi in 58.07 after watching Ukraine's Andriy Kovalenko clock 57.96 at the helm of the first line up,  with Russian Vyacheslav Sinkevich second in 58.02.

Women's 100m freestyle

After 2011 world long-course champion Jeanette Ottesen (DEN) clocked 53.61 in the first semi, Charlotte Bonnet (FRA) led Veronika Popova (RUS) 53.04 to 53.12 in the second line-up.

Day 1 Results in full