Bovell fifth in world swimming final

BARCELONA: Top Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean swimmer George Bovell, yesterday placed fifth in the final of the 200 metres Individual Medley at the World Swimming Championships. Bovell, who entered the pool with the third fastest semi-final time of 1:59.86 could not repeat his form of the previous day and finished in a slow 2:00.06. The 6-foot 5-inch tall Bovell, a student at Auburn University in the USA, later said that he was using the meet as preparation for next month’s Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. According to the TT team coach Anil Roberts, “it was his backstroke (stage) that let him down, and he swam a slow time of 35.79 (seconds).”  Roberts, who also has fellow Piranha Aquatics swimmers Nicholas Bovell, Sharntelle McLean and Ayeisha Collymore under his wings at the two-week event, added, “he (George) lost his timing then and couldn’t catch up with Phelps, who swam an amazing race.”

The 20-year-old Bovell finished behind Australia’s Ian “Thorpedo” Thorpe, who took the silver medal in 1:59.66, more than 3.5 seconds behind Michael Phelps —- which is an eternity in this event —- Italy’s Massimiliano Rosolino (1:59.71) and Finland’s Jani Sievinen (1:59.98). Phelps an 18-year-old American became the first man to set two world records in two different individual disciplines on the same day when he broke world marks in the 100-metre butterfly and the 200 individual medley yesterday. Phelps concluded his night at the World Swimming Championships with a spectacular performance in the 200Im, winning the gold medal in 1:56.04, shattering his own world record of 1:57.52 set in Thursday’s semi-finals. Completing the field were Japan’s Takahiro Mori, who clocked 2:01.29, American Kevin Clements 2:01.51 and Canadian Brian Johns 2:01.62. Two other swimmers also swam world record times yesterday. Andrii Serdinov of the Ukraine started the frenzy by setting a new mark (51.76) in the 100m butterfly semi-finals, only to have his record broken five minutes later by Phelps (51.47) in the second semifinal heat. In the next event on the programme, Phelps’ fellow American Amanda Beard tied a world record when she won the gold medal in the 200 breaststroke. In all, nine world marks have been broken and one equalled in these championships, which ends tomorrow.