GLASGOW: World champion Cate Campbell looked in supreme form as she cruised into the semi-finals of women’s 100m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games yesterday.
The Australian exacted a little revenge on Fran Halsall after being beaten to gold in the 50m freestyle by the Englishwoman on Saturday by qualifying fastest in a time of 53:20sec.
“It was a pretty fast heat swim, but I know from experience that if you go too slowly you start to shut down the systems.
“I always get more nervous before the 50m. It is not my bread and butter anymore. I have moved to the main course in the 100m,” she added.
Halsall was second fastest as she attempted to save her energy ahead of going for a second gold in the 50m butterfly later yesterday evening.
The highlight of yesterday’s session, though was the battle for the men’s 100m freestyle gold between Australian duo James Magnussen and Cameron McEvoy.
Just as in Saturday’s men’s 100m breaststroke, 19-year-old Englishman Adam Peaty beat South African world record holder Cameron van der Burgh into second place in qualifying fastest for the 50m breaststroke semi-finals.
Peaty set another new Commonwealth Games record in the process of 27:00 sec in the process with Scotland’s Ross Murdoch qualifying third fastest.
“It was good. I didn’t think I would have to swim that fast this morning,” said Peaty.
Van der Burgh’s South African teammate Chad le Clos was back in the pool just 12 hours after sealing gold in the 200m butterfly and he was fastest in qualifying for the 100m butterfly semi-finals.
Le Clos’ meet had been nearly ended as he twisted his ankle when slipping off a bus in the athletes’ village on Friday, but he insisted the pain is easing more with every passing day.
Australia look set to continue their dominance of the relays as they easily qualified fastest for the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final.
Scotland’s Hannah Miley will go for a second gold of the Games in the women’s 200m individual medley final on Sunday after qualifying third fastest behind England’s Siobhan O’Connor and reigning champion Alicia Coutts of Australia.
Emily Seebohm will also be hoping for her second gold of the meet in the women’s 200m backstroke, but she only qualified fourth fastest for evening’s final with Canadian Hilary Caldwell leading the way.
Aussie duo Sophie Taylor and Sally Hunter also eased into the semi-finals of the women’s 100m breaststroke after their gold and silver respectively in the 200m on Saturday.
Wales’ Jazz Carlin set a new Commonwealth Games record in qualifying fastest for today’s women’s 800m final in a time of 8min 22:69sec.
And Sophie Pascoe is the heavy favourite to win New Zealand’s first swimming gold of the Games in the women’s para-sport 100m breaststroke SB9 after she qualified fastest, nearly three seconds ahead of Scotland’s Errald Davies.
AFP
