USA WINS “TEAM TROPHY” IN KAZAN

Katie Ledecky (USA) and Sun Yang (CHN) were the best swimmers of the 16th FINA World Championships in Kazan (RUS), after the completion of the eight days of competition. The US star collected five golds and three World Records, while the Chinese champion goes home with two world titles and a silver medal. The team of the United States also won the overall “Team Trophy” of the competition, after being at the top of the medals’ table, with 8 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze medals, for a total of 23 podium presences. However, since 1998, this is the second worse result for US, after the 22 medals in Rome 2009 (but with 10 golds on the counter).

To this US relatively modest result contributed the excellent performances of Australia, China and Great Britain, the next ranked countries in the medal’s table, with 16, 13 and 9 awards respectively. In terms of comparison, Australia had only 13 medals in Barcelona (but three golds in 2013 against 7 now), China was at 9, and Great Britain had only placed one athlete in the podium! In a medal chart with 23 countries, new entries included Jamaica, Singapore and Argentina.

Individually, many stars have shone in the Kazan Arena outstanding facility. Multi-medallists included Bronte Campbell and Mitchell Larkin, both from Australia, Florent Manaudou and Camille Lacourt, from France, Adam Peaty and James Guy, from Great Britain, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), Alia Atkinson (JAM), Lauren Boyle (NZL), Cameron van der Burgh (RSA), Yulia Efimova (RUS), Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) and Ryan Lochte (USA).

USA WINS TEAM TROPHY IN KAZAN photo credit FINA.ORG

In the initial final of the eighth and last competition day in Kazan, Camille Lacourt (FRA) revalidated his 2013 title in the men’s 50m backstroke in a time of 24.23. It was his second individual medal in Kazan, after the silver in the 100m backstroke – moreover, Lacourt equals Liam Tancock (GBR), who also won two back-to-back gold medals in this event, in 2009 and 2011. Precisely six years ago, in the Italian capital, Tancock had set the World Record still in charts, 24.04, but this time he was the seventh of the final in 24.88.

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SUCCESSFUL HUNT FOR GOLD

After chasing for so long the gold medal, Gary Hunt (GBR) finally got the world title in Kazan (RUS), winning the men’s High Diving competition, with a total of 629.30 points. The British star (31 years old) had been second in both the 2013 Worlds in Barcelona (ESP) and last year, also at the Kazanka venue, during the first edition of the FINA High Diving World Cup. On both occasions, Hunt finished second to Orlando Duque, from Colombia, who made some mistakes in Russia and could not enter the podium (he was sixth) Normally praised for his consistency, Duque was quite regular in the last two rounds of the competition, but was not so solid in the inaugural three dives on Day 1. This time, Hunt did everything almost perfect and successfully allied solid execution with very high degrees of difficulty in his combinations.

Also in the podium in Barcelona 2013, Jonathan Paredes, from Mexico, upgraded his bronze to silver, also displaying a very challenging programme, concluding his performances in Kazan with a total of 596.45 points. At the two editions of the World Cup (Kazan 2014 and Cozumel 2015), the Mexican star had been fifth, each time behind Duque, Hunt, Steve LoBue (USA) and Artem Silchenko (RUS).

The Russian star was precisely the third best man of the day, getting the bronze in 593.95. Fourth one year ago, also in front of a cheering crowd, Silchenko has made a steady progression since then, and was already silver medallist at the 2015 World Cup. Thanks to a very solid last dive (back 3 somersaults 3 twists pike, DD 5.6), the 31-year-old climbed from the fourth to the third position, also benefiting from a not-so successful final attempt from David Colturi, from the USA.

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JORDAN WILIMOVSKY TOPS MEN’S 10KM, QUALIFIES FOR RIO 2016…

USA’s Jordan Wilimovsky won the men’s 10km to become the first swimmer to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games at the Kazanka River venue beating 69 other competitors to the finish line. The 21 year old swimmer from Santa Monica, California finished 12.1 seconds ahead of Ferry Weertman of the Netherlands. The top ten swimmers qualified for the next Olympic Games including Greece’s Spyridon Gianniotis who will be going to his fifth Games.

At the final red buoy, Wilimovsky was firmly in the lead but he appeared to take a line towards the turn buoys as if he was taking another lap, rather than aiming for the straighter line to the finish. After leading his challengers slightly off course, the American quickly realised his mistake and immediately got back on track.

A total of 70 athletes from 43 different countries races for a ticket to Rio de Janeiro and a spot on the starting dock at the next Olympic Marathon. Race conditions were picture perfect in 20.1 degree water with only a gentle breeze.

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DIVING ELITE TO SHINE AGAIN AT LONDON AQUATICS CENTRE

The London Aquatics Centre will host the third leg of the FINA/NVC Diving World Series 2014. Divers from the strongest nations in the sport will be in action in a total eight events: men’s and women’s 3m springboard and 10m platform, individual and synchro.

Among men, those to watch in London include British star and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley (10m platform), current Olympic champion David Boudia (USA, 10m platform) and World champion He Chong (CHN, 3m springboard), 2013 World bronze medallist Sascha Klein (GER, 10m platform), 2013 Series overall winner Yahel Castillo (MEX, 3m springboard) and 2013 Series overall winner Victor Minibaev (RUS, 10m platform).

The women’s events feature a tough competitive field with China’s biggest assets Minxia Wu and Zi He in the 3m springboard, Ruolin Chen and Yajie Si in the 10m platform, 2012 Olympic bronze medallist and 2013 Series runner-up Laura Sanchez (MEX, 3m springboard), 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong Pamg (MAS) and 2013 World bronze medallist Pamela Ware (CAN, 3m springboard).

At each meet, US$96,000 of prize money is reserved for the three best divers of all eight individual and synchro events. An overall prize money of US$87,000 will be divided between the top-six divers in each event, totalling US$696,000.

Open water racing resumes in Cancun

After a thrilling start in Argentina (Santa Fe and Hernandarias), Cancun (MEX) will hold the third stage of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2014 on March 29.

11 women and 21 men from 15 countries will take the departure in the 15km race. Big names in the world of open water include Pilar Geijo (ARG, winner in Hernandarias), Silvie Rybarova (CZE, winner in Santa Fe), Angela Maurer (GER), Damian Blaum (ARG), Simone Ercoli (ITA, winner in Santa Fe) and Ivan Afanevich (RUS, winner in Hernandarias).

On April 5, Cancun will welcome the world’s finest marathon swimmers for the second stop of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup 2014.

Many Olympic and World medallists will be on-hand, considerably heightening the level of competition: 2012 Olympic silver and multi World medallist Thomas Lurz (GER), 2012 Olympic bronze medallist and reigning 25km World champion Martina Grimaldi (ITA), 2013 World Cup overall winner Angela Maurer (GER), 2013 World 10km silver medallist Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) and 2013 World 25km bronze medallist Eva Fabian (USA), to name a few.

ALL RESULTS AND RANKINGS ON FINA.ORG