Swimming, World Cup: Ceccon second, comes close to breaking the record

A chronometric step forward with a South African mockery in the World Cup in Athens (50 m): Thomas Ceccon is second in the 200 backstroke, but with personal progress compared to a week ago. In Berlin he won in 1’56”64, in the Greek Olympic pool he finished second, 17 hundredths of a second behind Pieter Coetze. A step forward also in the all-time Italian ranking for the twenty-two year old from Vicenza and world champion of the 50 dolphin, world record holder of the 100 backstroke, his real race. Now the policeman led by Alberto Burlina is 2nd and overtakes Luca Mencarini (1’56″58) while Matteo Restivo’s Italian record stands at 1’56″29. And referring to the record, Thomas had passed under the current limit at 50 (27”22/2750), above 100 (57”08/56256) and under 150 (1’26”69/1’26”79 ). In the last lap in 34″17 (against 33″73 for the South African), Thomas was overtaken in the final strokes, confirming that the right brilliance is lacking in the final stages of races, after just a month of work.

Tete under the podium

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It is certainly a specialty not often frequented by Ceccon, but which could be useful for him to bring resistance to his 100. In fact he says: “The weather is not bad, but I have to swim this race, which is really tough.” The man-to-man “marking” between breaststrokers continues and this can be felt in the lanes: the Chinese world champion Qin Haiyang wins the 100m again in 58″44 (in Berlin he had dropped below 58″) over the American Nic Fink at 59″ 28, third is the Dutch Olympic silver medalist Arno Kamminga (59″40) who finally gets the podium by 30 cents over Nicolò Martinenghi, third on the turn (27″45) 13 cents behind the Chinese. Sixth is the British Olympian Adam Peaty, at 59”28. For Tete, an improvement of 6 hundredths compared to Berlin, where he had been fifth. All tests to also tactically understand what needs to be fixed on the way there and back.

On the podium

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Men, 50 freestyle: 1. Andrew (USA) 21”96, 2. Cooper (Aus) 22”07, 3. Carter (Tri) 22”16.

400 freestyle: 1. Rapsys (Lit) 3’48”64, 2. Kieran Smith (USA) 3’49”46, 3. Christiansen (Nor) 3’49”70.

200 backstroke: 1. Coetze (Saf) 1’56”32, 2. Ceccon 1’56”49 (27”22, 57”08, 1’26”69), 3. Mityukov (Svi) 1’57”16 .

100 breaststroke: 1. Qin Haiyang (China) 58”44, 2. Fink (USA) 59”28, 3. Kamminga (Ola) 59”40, 4. Martinenghi 59”70, 6. Peaty (GB) 59”98 .

100 butterfly: Sates (Saf) 51”82, 2. Simpson (Aus) and Andrew (USA) 51”92.

Women, 50 freestyle: 1. Sjostrom (Sve) 24”10, 2. Cate Campbell (Aus) 24”54, 3. Huske (USA 24”62.

400 freestyle: 1. Fairweather 4’01”90 (2’00”34), 2. Pallister (Aus) 4’02”47, 3. Weinstein (USA) 4’06”73.

50 backstroke: 1. McKeown (Aus) 27”02 (rec. man., prec. 27”24 Berlin), 2. Wilm (Can) 27”94, 3. Masse (Can) 27”95.

200 breaststroke: 1. Schouten (Ola) 2’23”23, 2. Strauch (Aus) 2’24”19, 3. Blomsterberg (Dan) 2’24”34.

200 butterfly: 1. Zhang Yufei (China) 2’06”73, 2. Grimes (USA) 2’08”70, 3. Tanigawa /Gia) 2’12”01.