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Alshammar Hammers Home In 25.44 50 'Fly

Jul 31, 2009  - Craig Lord

Rome 2009, Day 6

Women's 50m butterfly

Therese Alshammar (SWE) scorched a championship record of 25.44 at the helm of the the heats of the 50m butterfly. Just 0.11sec away from world-record pace. But there was no place for Dara Torres (USA) and Libby Trickett (AUS), joint 17th on 26.41, as 20 women raced inside 26.5. 

Second through was world record holder Marleen Veldhuis (NED) on 25.58, with Ingvild Snildal (NOR) on 25.62 before winner of the 100m 'fly in world-record time (of course), 15-year-old Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) on 25.74. 

Snildal is 21. Her best last year was 27.05. Last month on Mare Nostrum Tour she did well to set a best time of 26.31. Big pb. This morning she's 1.41sec faster than she was last year - on a one-length race. Ho hum.

Aussie Danni Miatke would have been the only qualifier from Melbourne 2007 heats to make it through to the top 16 in Rome, and then by 0.02. Just one woman got inside 26.5 in 2007 heats. In Rome: 20.

Rome 2009

  • Top 16 through: 25.44 - 26.36
  • Inside 25.5: 1
  • Inside 26: 7
  • Inside 26.5: 20
  • Inside 27: 33
  • Inside 27.5: 43
  • Inside 28: 55

Melbourne 2007:

  • Top 16 through: 26.34 - 27.31
  • Inside 25.5: 0
  • Inside 26: 0
  • Inside 26.5: 1
  • Inside 27: 7
  • Inside 27.5: 21
  • Inside 28: 29