Commonwealth Games Swimming Preview - Women's Backstroke

50m Back
1. Sophie Edington - Pan Pac champion and must be favourite to do the double at Commies.
2. Emily Seebohm - Edington's biggest challenger and only other woman in the race to go under 28 seconds this year.
3. Gemma Spofforth - Not a specialist at 50m but has all the skills for the race.

Wildcard
Emily Thomas - Bronze medallist from Pan Pacs. Rare medal hope for New Zealand.

100m Back
1. Gemma Spofforth - This will be Spofforth's first LC fully rested and tapered meet of 2010. Broke the WR in Rome in a Speedo LZR. I expect the winner of this race to go sub 59.

2. Emily Seebohm - Seebohm's time of 59.21 was the fastest in the world for most of the year and is faster than both Spofforth and Simmonds this year. The finish should be very tight.
3. Elizabeth Simmonds - Despite being a 200m specialist, Simmonds could win the 100m. She beat Spofforth at British Trials. Has arguably the best underwaters of anyone in the race.

Wildcard
Belinda Hocking - Just outside breaking 60 seconds this year. Will struggle to get on terms with The 3 S's (Spofforth, Seebohm and Simmonds).

200m Back
1. Elizabeth Simmonds - Simmonds has been the best 200m Backstroker in the world this year. Expect Kristina Egerszegi's textile best time of 2:06.62 to be taken down.

2. Gemma Spofforth - Despite not being in top form at European's, swam a highly respectable 2:08.25.
3. Belinda Hocking - Top ranked Australian this year. Won Aussie Nationals in 2:07.89.

WildcardStephanie Proud - It would be a surprise if Proud got past the Australian trio of Hocking, Seebohm and Nay, however an English 1-2-3 remains a possibility. Proud is Spofforth's teammate in Florida so we could see a couple of Gators on the podium in India.

Thoughts from the European Swimming Championships - Day Two

- I hereby crown Camille Lacourt with the prestigous Speed Endurance Swim of 2010... So Far award. (It probably ranks right up alongside breaking the European Record.)

The much sought after award had been held by Rebecca Soni's 2:21.41 200m Breaststroke from the Barcelona Mare Nostrum event. It was then snatched away last week by Ryan Lochte's stunning 1:54.86 victory over Michael Phelps in the 200m IM at US Nationals.

(Lochte must be fuming right now to only hold the title for less than a week, but the truth is that Lacourt's swim tonight eclipsed both Soni and Lochte.)

52.11.... in textile jammers... is out. of. this. world. In my eyes it has to be considered an even better swim than Aaron Peirsol's techsuit legs aided 51.94 from last year's US Nationals, which is the only swim faster than Lacourt's effort from tonight.

Lacourt is a giant of a man but combines his size and strength with a faultless, increbily smooth technique. If you missed the race, check it out below (updated video with the passionate French commentators)



I honestly believed that Liam Tancock's 52.85 had a chance of holding up until the end of the year as the world's fastest time. Guess I got that one wrong.

Lacourt adds a new element to future 4 x 100m Medley races at both European and World level. The French team now looks like Lacourt on Back, Hugues Duboscq on Breast, Clement Lefert or Fred Bousquet on Fly and Alain Bernard/Fabien Gilot on Freestyle. The only weak link on that team is the fly and should either Lefert/Bousquet/A.N. Other get down to 50/51 seconds on the 100m Fly, the French team would become a real danger to the Americans.

Chapeau Camille Lacourt!

- Alexander Dale Oen was only slightly behind when it came to the most impressive swim on day two. Dale Oen's 59.20 final winning time improved on his 59.29 from yesterday's semis and moves him to within 0.07 of Brendan Hansen's textile best time. Dale Oen went out quickly again splitting in 27.69 (0.03 seconds slower than last night) and looked strong throughout the race.

It will be fascinating to see how Brenton Rickard, Kosuke Kitajima, Mike Alexandrov and Ryo Tateishi respond at Pan Pacs in just a few days time. I'm not sure I can see them beating Dale Oen's time.

(You can also read Swimnews' take on the race which starts with the line, 'Alex Dale Oen (NOR) hated the shiny suits and couldn't wait for them to be gone'... seriously, enough already)

- Lizzie Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth took an extremely satisfying, if a little predictable, British 1-2 in the 200m Backstroke.

Simmonds (2:07.04) went out hard for the race and hung on at the end. Spofforth (2:08.25) had a much more evenly paced race.

The time is impressive for Simmonds although not as fast as she has been earlier this year. What I want to highlight are her starts and turns which were a league apart from the rest of the field tonight.

Starts, turns and underwaters have been a staple of US success for years. No-one does them better. However, Simmonds looks like the first British swimmer in this generation to have caught up with the very best America (and the world) has to offer. Possibly the only backstroker right now that can come close to her underwater is Natalie Coughlin.

- Quick prediction for tomorrow's 200m Free final. 1. Paul Biedermann. 2. Danila Izotov. 3. Sebastian Verschuren in a very close race. I think Verschuren has something special to give tomorrow and I hope he blasts the first 100m. Biedermann will need to not play games and get out in a 51 high if he wants to have a shot at going 1:44 which I think he can. Definitely the race of tomorrow night on paper.

- Finally... To all future race organisers in Europe. Please, please stop playing Right Said Fred - Stand Up after EVERY medal ceremony. It leads me to my next question... What is the ideal song to be played after medal ceremonies? Answers in the comment section please. Let's come up with a solution together.