Early doors results look promising
Plenty of the Team GB kids have been out and about this weekend for a bit of early-season racing. The times will obviously be relatively slow as everyone’s in heavy training, but let’s see how they all stack up:
Women’s 200m/100m fly
Jess Dickons won the Victorian State champs ahead of Ellen Gandy, with Jess on 2:07.68 and Ellen on 2:11.39. Over in Austin, Jemma Lowe swam 2:10.47 to qualify fastest for the final (later tonight), as did Elena Sheridan in 2.13.70 at the Flanders Cup in Belgium (edit - Elena won in 2.11.08). Jemma also got 2nd in the 100m fly (58.16) just behind world champion Dana Vollmer (58.02). Ellen went one better and won the 100 in Victoria in 57.96.
Women’s 400m free
Jazz Carlin was 2nd in Austin behind a very speedy Allison Schmitt (Jazz on 4:07.89, Allison on 4:05.90) but well in front of Chloe Sutton (4:10.66). In Flanders, Eleanor Faulkner qualified fastest for the final ahead of 800m world champ Lotte Friis with a 4.15.83 (edit - the final went the other way with Lotte winning in 4.08, Eleanor behind her in 4.10.36) .
Women’s 200m/400m IM
Flanders: Aimee Wilmott won in 4.42.0 with THREE other Brits in the final all under 5 minutes (!). Victoria: Siobhan Marie O’Connor managed a 4:50.31 for third (but went faster in her heat) and Jess Dickons got under 5 minutes as well. No Brits in the Austin GP final but for comparison Cammile Adams won it in 4.38.8. (edit - Sophie Allen won the Flanders 200IM in 2.13.23, Siobhan was 2nd in Victoria with 2:15.08)
Women’s 200m back
Austin: Georgia Davies finished 3 seconds behind Missy Franklin with a 2:11.10 but a few places ahead of Laure ‘batshit mentalist’ Manaudou who finally seems to be improving again after dropping the ol’ sprog. Steph Proud posted 2:14.72 in the B final and Gemma Spofforth came 2nd in the C final with 2:15.16. The other Georgia (Hohmann) won the Flanders Cup in 2.09.71, Lauren Quigley in third on 2.14.51. I think that puts the two Georgias 2nd and 3rd in the (temporary!) 2012 rankings behind Missy!
Women’s 800m free
Ellie Faulkner did a cracking 8.29.70 behind Lotte Friis in Flanders, Keri-Anne Payne 4th in 8.38.58. More surprisingly, Ellen Gandy placed 3rd in Victoria with 8.47.43, about half an hour after winning the 50 fly! Hardcore.
Also
Fran Halsall swam 54.29 for 100m free and 26.84 for 50m fly at the City of Derby long course meet. The 100 free time would have placed her 2nd in Austin and Victoria.
Dudes
Usual aspects out in force in Austin: Richard Webb third in the 200m breast (2:13.51), Simon Burnett clocking 50.17 in the 100m free. In Victoria, Dan Fogg and Jack Burnell kept pace with each other to get a 1-2 in the 1500m free with 15.39 and 15.41. And last but not least David Carry won the 400m free in Flanders with a not-too-shabby 3.49.29 - faster than Ryan Cochrane’s win in Austin and Jarrod Killey’s in Victoria. (edit - a good swim from Dan Sliwinski in Flanders, 1.00.75 for 2nd in the 100m breast)
