Chinese Swimmers Dominate First Day of Shanghai World Cup; Lisogor, Qi Are Double Winners

By Phillip Whitten

SHANGHAI, China, Dec. 1. CHINESE swimmers dominated the first day of the FINA World Cup meet in Shanghai, the third stop on the 2002-03 World Cup tour, taking eight of the 16 events contested. The home team boasted six of eight women's winners and two of eight men's.

U.S. swimmers managed only two medals. Dave Denniston was second in the 200m breast while Rachel Komisarz took third in the 800m free.

Men's Competition
Ukraine's Oleg Lisogor was the only man to win two events, repeating his triumphs from the New York meet in the 50m breaststroke (27.39) and 100m IM (54.74). In both events Chinese swimmers took the next two spots.

Britain's James Hickman and Steve Parry went one-two in the 200m fly with Hickman, the former WR-holder in this event, clocking 1:53.72 and Parry, a former Florida State Seminole, a half second back.

In the absence of the USA's Jason Lezak, Argentina's Jose Meolans had no trouble taking the 100m free in 48.37, while the Czech Republic's consistent Kvetoslav
Svoboda breezed in the 400m free in 3:46.22, almost three seconds ahead of 15 year-old Chinese up-and comer, Wu Peng, who set a national record.

China's Ouyang Kunpeng also set a national mark in winning the 100m back in 52.16 while Li Ziqiang took the 400m IM 4:13.26. Ouyang was also second in the 100 IM (54.86).

Other winners included Austria's Maxim Podoprigora in the 200m breast (2:11.59) and Brazil's Raphael De Thuin in the 50m fly (23.93)

Women's Competition
China's Qi Hui was the only woman to win two events today, and she did it in spectacular style.

Qi, who holds the world records in the long course and short course 200m breast, won the 100 breast tonight in 1:06.14, a pr, soundly defeating countrywoman Luo Xuejuan, the world champion in this event and the second-fastest woman all-time.

Qi later came back to take the 200m IM in a World Cup record 2:08.79, just a second off Alison Wagner's world mark. Teammate Zhang Tianyi, one of several Chinese newcomers at this meet was second in 2:09.85 — a spectacular debut — while Olympic champion Yana Klochkova of Ukraine was third with a very solid 2:10.91.

Aside from Qi, Britain's Alison Sheppard and Slovakia's Martina Moravcova had the evening's best women's swims, each time victimizing Chinaa's Xu Yanwei. Sheppard, 30, won the 50m free in a world-leading 24.44, soundly thrashing Xu (25.01) Moravcova
took the 100 fly in a swift 57.39 with the luckless Xu, in her international debut in this event, second in a solid 58.25.

Yang Yu won the 200 free (1:58.07) in a Chinese sweep while Zheng Jing won the 800 in 8:29.84 ahead of teammate Tang Jingzhi.

Li Hui, who specializes in the short course 50 back, was victorious in her event (28.01) while Zhang Shong took the 200 meter dorsal swim in 2:08.46, just ahead of Yang.

The two-day meet resumes tomorrow.

2002-03 FINA WORLD CUP III
Shanghai, CHINA

25 meter course

DAY ONE: December 1, 2002

RESULTS

MEN

100m freestyle
1. Jose Meolans (ARG) 48.37
2. Stefan Herbst (GER) 48.72
3. Denis Pimankov (RUS) 48.79

400m freestyle
1. Svoboda Kvetoslav (CZE) 3:46.22
2. Wu Peng (CHN) 3:48.85 NR
3. Ji Zhixiang (CHN) 3:50.02

100m backstroke
1. Ouyang Kunpeng (CHN) 52.16 NR
2. Steffen Driesen (GER) 53.81
3. Alexandre Massura (BRA) 53.84

50m breaststroke
1. Oleg Lisogor (UKR) 27.39
2. Wang Haibo (CHN) 27.74
3. Wu Dong (CH) 28.23

200m breaststroke
1. Maxim Podoprigora (AUT) 2:11.59
2. David Denniston (USA) 2:12.88
3. Zhao Tao (CHN) 2:13.13

50m butterfly
1. Raphael De Thuin (BRA) 23.93
2. Igor Marchenko (RUS) 23.97
3. James Hickman (GBR) 24.01

200m butterfly
1. James Hickman (GBR) 1:53.72
2. Steve Parry (GBR) 1:54.26
3. Denys Sylantyev (UKR) 1:57.10

100m individual medley
1. Oleg Lisogor (UKR) 54.74
2. Ouyang Kunpeng (CHN) 54.86
3. Jin Hao (CHN) 55.81

400m individual medley
1. Li Ziqiang (CHN) 4:13.26
2. Batiste Levaillant (FRA) 4:14.01
3. Zheng Huazhang (CHN) 4:14.54

WOMEN

50m freestyle
1. Alison Sheppard (GBR) 24.44
2. Xu Yanwei (CHN) 25.01
3. Anna Karin Kammerling (SWE) 25.06

200m freestyle
1. Yang Yu (CHN) 1:58.07
2. Zhu Yinweng (CHN) 1:58.33
3. Pang Jiaying (CHN) 1:58.64

800m freestyle
1. Zheng Jing (CHN) 8:29.84
2. Tang Jingzhi (CHN) 8:30.76
3. Rachel Komisarz (USA) 8:32.15

50m backstroke
1. Li Hui (CHN) 28.01
2. Nina Zhivanevskaya (ESP) 28.17
3. Zhang Tianyi (CHN) 28.23

200m backstroke
1. Zhang Shong (CHN) 2:08.46
2. Yang Yu (CHN) 2:08.69
3. Stephanie Proud (GBR) 2:09.13

100m breaststroke
1. Qi Hui (CHN) 1:06.14
2. Luo Xuejuan (CHN) 1:06.81
3. Mirna Jukic (AUT) 1:08.02

100m butterfly
1. Martina Moravcova (SVK) 57.39
2. Xu Yanwei (CHN) 58.25
3. Zhao Qing (CHN) 58.93

200m individual medley
1. Qi Hui (CHN) 2:08.79 WCR
2. Zhang Tianyi (CHN) 2:09.85
3. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 2:10.91

NR: National Record
WCR: World Cup Record

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