Hackett soaks up gold medal winning 1,500m

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The Gold Coast’s Grant Hackett is celebrating his fourth consecutive world 1,500 metre freestyle gold medal.

The Australian team captain won three gold medals at this year’s championships which finished today in Montreal.

Hackett has been named male swimmer of the meet.

“It’s been a great week and it’s finished on a high note with this 1,500 and to win the fourth one in a row at the world championships is something I would have never dreamt of at the start of my career,” he said.

Davies goes close to silver

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WELSHMAN David Davies claimed Britain’s third medal at the World Championships in Montreal last night as he battled back to win bronze in the 1,500m freestyle.

At the 500m mark, Davies looked dead and buried back in fourth position. However, the European record holder, who is one of only 15 men to ever go below 15 minutes in the 1,500m, refused to miss out on a podium finish.

Davies finished nearly a second clear in qualifying with a time of 14mins 59.33secs to set up a rerun of the 2004 Olympic final against Australian Grant Hackett and American Larsen Jensen.

Davies finished in bronze-medal position behind the pair in Athens and failed to reverse his form with Jensen.

Having broken down Russian Yuri Prilukov, Davies reeled in American Jensen and looked to have sealed a silver medal.

However, in the final 50m Jensen battled back and out-sprinted the Welshman to pip Davies for the second podium position.

From the off Hackett, who became the first man to win four consecutive World Championship gold medals in the 1,500m, looked to have the race in the bag.

The Australian, who has already won two golds in Montreal, became the first swimmer in World Championship history to win 16 medals.

Hackett recorded a time of 14:42.58, with Jensen 5.00secs back in silver medal position, with Davies winning the bronze in 14:48.11.

In qualifying, the Welshman - who finished sixth in the 800m freestyle behind Hackett earlier in the week - was over 13 seconds shy of the European record he set in Athens but the Cardiff swimmer led a star-studded field to qualify in pole position for the final, finishing nearly a second clear to set up a re-run of the 2004 Olympic final against Hackett and Jensen.

Liam Tancock went a long way to repairing the shattered confidence of the British team as he also claimed a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke.

It had been seven days since Caitlin McClatchey claimed Britain’s only other medal on the first day of the championships.

Tancock, who broke the first British record of the championships as he finished second in his 50m backstroke semi-final in 25.22secs, recorded a new British record of 25.02secs, which was 0.07secs off the gold.

The 20-year-old, who was the second fastest qualifier, finished behind Greek gold medallist Aristeidis Grigoriadis, who recorded a time of 24.95secs.

Australian Matt Welsh finished 0.04secs back in the silver medal position, with Tancock claiming the final podium finish.

The world record holder and reigning champion, Germany’s Thomas Rupprath, finished a disappointing sixth, with American Aaron Piersol back in fifth.

Tancock, who is a tropical fish enthusiast, said, “It’s pretty awesome for my first World Championships.

“I have got my British record and I keep lowering the bar. I want to be under the 25secs mark soon.

“I was not fazed or scared at all. I respect my rivals - all the big boys were there and hopefully I have put down my mark on world swimming.

“I always aim to go up the ranks. The hundred is my next aim and I am sure I will be there soon - this medal is pretty high next to my tropical fish tank.”

Britain’s Kate Haywood was left empty handed as Australia’s Jade Edmistone smashed the world record in the final of the women’s 50m breaststrok.

Haywood qualified fifth fastest for the final after her semi-final swim of 31.41secs, but failed to live up to her billing as a potential medal hope.

She finished a disappointing sixth in 31.49secs, 1.04secs off Edmistone’s new world record of 30.45secs.

Former world record holder Zoe Baker, who competed for Great Britain before defecting to represent New Zealand, trailed home in fifth.

America’s Jessica Hardy won the silver medal in 30.85secs, while Australian Brooke Hanson won the bronze.

“My goal was just to make the final,” said Haywood. “I am a slow starter and I have got to work on that. Zoe Baker had a great start and Jade Edmistone finished well.”

Swimming-Bounty on Hackett still not enough

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MONTREAL (Reuters) - Not even a $1 million bounty could inspire anyone enough to beat Grant Hackett on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Australian confirmed his status as the greatest long-distance swimmer ever when he won the 1500 metres freestyle at the world swimming championships on Sunday.

Unbeaten over the distance since 1996, not even a $1 million incentive offered by U.S. Swimming to any American swimmer who can beat Hackett and his world record of 14:34.60 could keep him from becoming the first swimmer to win the same event at four world championships.

The victory capped off a historic week for Hackett, who also became the first person to win seven individual world titles, surpassing the previous record of six he shared with Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps.

“It is great,” said Hackett, who was awarded the FINA trophy as the championships’ top male swimmer. “It’s an awesome feeling to be able to achieve something like that to be the first person in history to do it.

“Now that it’s over, that I’ve completed it, it is really satisfying. It was a tough race, a tough swim.

“It has been a big programme and I am happy with the results I got.”

Hackett was the only swimmer at Montreal to win gold medals in three individual events, the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle. He also won silver in the 200m behind Michael Phelps and the bronze in the 4×200m relay.

As impressive as the 1500m victory was, he clocked 14 minutes 42.58 seconds, five-seconds clear of Larsen Jenson of the United States in 14:47.58, it was his world-record in the 800m that stood out the most.

He touched in 7:38.65 slashing more than half a second off the mark set by Thorpe at the 2001 world championships in Japan, when the pair engaged in an epic battle.

Despite David Davies’s posting the quickest qualifying time in the 1500m, Hackett quickly dispelled any notion of an upset and opened up a three body-length lead after just 200 metres.

“I felt easy every day except today,” said Hackett. “Certainly the pace of tonight wasn’t a reflection where I’ve been swimming this week after the other events.

“It’s one of those events if you don’t feel quite on the time is going to come back a little bit but 42 is the third fastest time I’ve ever done and at the end of big week like this it’s great.

“It’s very satisfying to just get through that and get that done.”

Hackett’s win equals medal record haul

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Distance supremo Grant Hackett helped Australia equal its best gold medal haul at a world championships by taking out the 1500 metres in Montreal.

Hackett, who became the first swimmer to win the same event four times at the world titles, lifted Australia’s gold medal tally to 13, equalling the record set in Fukuoka, Japan in 2001.

The 25-year-old clocked a time of 14:42.58s in his pet event, the fourth fastest 1500m swim ever recorded and about eight seconds outside the world record he set in 2001.

He remains unbeaten in the event since 1996 and becomes the first man to win the 400m, 800m and 1500m at a world championships.

“It’s been a long week and it was a long race to finish on and I certainly felt a bit tired tonight, and the last few hundred I just wanted to get to the end,” Hackett said.

“I just want to see how fast I can go and I know I am a lot faster than the times I have done, particularly in the 1500 so for me it is all about pursuing that.”

Hackett said the Montreal meet would be one he fondly remembers.

“For me to break a world record here, of course of Ian’s (800m) and to be swimming those sorts of times day in day out … but certainly (it has been) one of those career moments or meets that you savour.”

Hackett’s 1500m win capped a sparkling day for Australia’s swimmers.

Libby Lenton won the 50m freestyle gold in a time of 24.59 seconds, with fellow Australian Alice Mills finishing in fifth place in 25.02 seconds.

Earlier, Australian Jade Edmistone broke the world record in the non-Olympic 50m breaststroke with a time of 30.45 seconds to win the gold medal.

She lowered British-turned-Kiwi swimmer Zoe Baker’s record by 0.12 of a second, while fellow Aussie Brooke Hanson came third in a time of 30.89.

Matt Welsh was narrowly pipped for gold in the men’s 50 metres breaststroke final, coming home just behind Aristeidis Grigoriadis of Greece to take the silver medal.

Grigoriadis won the event in a time 24.95 seconds after a close finish in which the first six swimmers were separated by less than half a second.

Going out in style: Hackett wins another 1,500

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MONTREAL — Grant Hackett swam to a historic victory, then picked up a well-deserved trophy as top man at the world championships.
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Michael Phelps? He spent the final night cheering from the stands.

The striking contrast made two things abundantly clear: Hackett is one of the greatest swimmers in history, while Phelps spent a little too much time since the Olympics working the talk-show circuit.

Hackett became the first swimmer to win four straight world titles in the same event, capturing another 1,500-meter freestyle Sunday. No one was close to the 6-foot-6 Australian, even though he appeared to tire a bit at the end of a grueling meet.

“It’s obviously an awesome feeling to achieve something like that and to be the first person in history to do it,” said Hackett, taking the lead role on an Australian team that had to get by without Ian Thorpe. “It’s over, I’ve completed it, and it’s very satisfying for me.”

Hackett won swimming’s version of the mile with a time of 14 minutes, 42.58 seconds. That was eight seconds off his world record but comfortably ahead of American Larsen Jensen, who outraced Great Britain’s David Davies for the silver.

Hackett captured his third individual gold medal — one more than Phelps — to go along with a silver and a bronze. The Aussie stretched out his own record for world championship medals to 17.

“It was feeling a bit tough out there,” Hackett said. “It been a big program, and I’m just happy with the results I got.”

Even though Phelps defeated Hackett in their only head-to-head meeting, the big Aussie was top dog in Montreal. He set a world record — there were nine in all during the meet — and received the FINA trophy as top male swimmer.

“It was great to watch him race,” U.S. women’s coach Jack Bauerle said. “Very inspiring.”

Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, who won two golds and two silvers, was named the best female.

The United States, which led the medal count with 15 golds and 32 overall, received the award as top team. It was the Americans’ largest medal haul at the world championships since 1982.

“This meet has been incredible for everyone, world records here and there, and I think the U.S. team has done so well,” said 16-year-old Katie Hoff, who capped a brilliant meet by winning the 400 individual medley — her third gold medal.

Hackett makes swim history

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Distance supremo Grant Hackett helped Australia equal their best gold medal haul at a world championships by taking out the 1500 metres in Montreal.

Hackett, who became the first swimmer to win the same event four times at the world titles, lifted Australia’s gold medal tally to 13, equalling the record set in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2001.

The 25-year-old clocked a time of 14 minutes 42.58 seconds in his pet event, the fourth fastest 1500-metre swim ever recorded and about eight seconds outside the world record he set in 2001.

He remains unbeaten in the event since 1996 and becomes the first man to win the 400 metres, 800 metres and 1500 metres at a world championships.

“It’s been a long week and it was a long race to finish on and I certainly felt a bit tired tonight, and the last few hundred I just wanted to get to the end,” Hackett said.

“I just want to see how fast I can go and I know I am a lot faster than the times I have done, particularly in the 1500, so for me it is all about pursuing that.”

Hackett said the Montreal meeting would be one he fondly remembered.

“For me to break a world record here, of course of Ian’s [800 metres] and to be swimming those sorts of times day in day out … but certainly [it has been] one of those career moments or meets that you savour.”

Hackett’s 1500-metre win capped a sparkling day for Australia’s swimmers.

Libby Lenton won the 50-metre freestyle gold in a time of 24.59 seconds, with fellow Australian Alice Mills finishing in fifth place in 25.02 seconds.

Earlier, Australian Jade Edmistone broke the world record in the non-Olympic 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 30.45 seconds to win the gold medal.

She lowered British-turned-Kiwi swimmer Zoe Baker’s record by 0.12 of a second, while fellow Australian Brooke Hanson came third in a time of 30.89 seconds.

Matt Welsh was narrowly pipped for gold in the men’s 50 metres breaststroke final, coming home just behind Aristeidis Grigoriadis of Greece to take the silver medal.

Grigoriadis won the event in a time 24.95 seconds after a close finish in which the first six swimmers were separated by less than half a second.

Hackett savours slice of history

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GRANT Hackett finished the world swimming championships as he started them on today - with a victory.

The 25-year-old Australia captain earned an unprecedented fourth straight title in the 1500m freestyle, maintaining an unbeaten run that has lasted since 1996.

It was his third gold medal of the games, and Hackett admitted it was the hardest.

“I wanted to do a personal best, but tonight I didn’t feel as good,” said the swimmer, who had reached a personal milestone when he eclipsed teammate Ian Thorpe’s world record in winning the 800m freestyle.

But his time of 14min 42.58sec, while outside his world record of 14min 34.56sec, was still his third-fastest ever and the fourth-fastest in history.

“At the end of a big week like this, it’s great,” said Hackett, who earned top male swimmer of the meet honours.

Hackett also won the 400m freestyle, opening his championships with a victory in an event in which American star Michael Phelps failed to qualify.

It was a morale booster for the week as Hackett, captaining an Aussie squad feeling the absence of superstar Thorpe, made good on his vow to lead from the front.

He took silver in the 200m free behind Phelps and bronze in the 4×200m free - posting the fastest leg of anyone in that relay final.

In the course of the week Hackett became the most-decorated swimmer in world championships history with 17 medals overall, including 10 golds.

“It has been great,” Hackett said. “It felt easy every day except today, to be honest.

“For me to break a world record here, of course of Ian’s, and to be swimming those sorts of times day in day out, it’s certainly one of those career moments or meets that you savour.”

Hackett’s 1500m win capped a sparkling day for Australia’s swimmers. Libby Lenton won the 50m freestyle gold in a time of 24.59sec, with fellow Australian Alice Mills finishing in fifth place in 25.02sec.

Earlier, Australian Jade Edmistone broke the world record in the non-Olympic 50m breaststroke with a time of 30.45sec to win the gold medal.

She lowered British-turned-Kiwi swimmer Zoe Baker’s record by 0.12sec, while fellow Aussie Brooke Hanson came third in a time of 30.89sec.

Matt Welsh was narrowly pipped for gold in the men’s 50m breaststroke final, coming home just behind Aristeidis Grigoriadis of Greece to take the silver medal.

Grigoriadis won the event in a time 24.95sec after a close finish in which the first six swimmers were separated by less than half a second.

Hackett Wins 1,500, First to Sweep World Swim Distance Titles

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July 31 (Bloomberg) — Grant Hackett won the 1,500-meter freestyle gold medal to become the first person to sweep the middle- and long-distance titles at the World Swimming Championships.

Hackett, a 25-year-old Australian, won in 14 minutes, 42.58 seconds tonight at Montreal, the fourth-fastest in history, to add to the 400- and 800-meter freestyle titles he’d already secured at the championships.

As well as becoming the first swimmer to win all three distance titles at the one world championship, Hackett is the first to win the same event at four championships after 1,500 freestyle titles in 1998, 2001 and 2003. He also won the 1,500- meter gold medal at the last two Olympics.

“It’s been a long week and it’s a long race to finish on,'’ Hackett told Channel Nine. “The last few hundred I just wanted to get to the end.'’

Hackett, who swam a total of 6.2 kilometers (3.8 miles) over 10 races in Montreal, became the second man to win three individual freestyle titles at one world championship meet. Australia’s Ian Thorpe took the 200, 400 and 800 titles in 2001 at Fukuoka, Japan.

It was Hackett’s seventh individual world title, breaking the record he shared with Thorpe, who skipped the Montreal meet.

Hackett makes history

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Champion Australian swimmer Grant Hackett has cruised to victory in the 1500m freestyle final at the world championships in Montreal.

He is the first swimmer to win the same event at four world championships.

Hackett qualified in second position, behind Welshman David Davies, but immediately proved his pre-final performance was more warm-up than genuine form.

He went straight to the front and pulled away from the field, earning a six-second buffer by the 500-metre mark.

While none of Hackett’s rivals could catch him, the Australian ace could not quite catch himself - his own world record, that is.

He was only one second behind his record time at the 500-metre mark, but cruised for the rest of the race, eventually slipping back 5.51 seconds at the 1300-metre mark.

Into the last 100 metres, the only question was far how below the 15-minute barrier he would go. In fact, he did it easily, winning in 14:42:58, the fourth-fastest 1500m time in history, but still eight seconds behind his world record.

Hackett was followed home by American Larsen Jensen and Davies.
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Hackett admitted after the race the exertion had left him exhausted.

“By the last 100 metres, I just wanted to get to the end,” he told the Nine network.

When asked about winning his fourth consecutive title, Hackett said: “It’s not something I tried to focus on before the race … but it was certainly an honour.

“It’s one of those meets that you savour.”

Hackett also reaffirmed a belief he could beat his own world record.

“I know I’m a lot faster than the times that I’ve done, particularly in the 1500 metres.”

Earlier, Libby Lenton won gold in the women’s 50m freestyle.

Lenton, swimming in lane three, came from behind to reel in Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands in the closing 10 metres.

“I just came here wanting to get better than the bronze,” Lenton told the Nine network.

Jade Edmistone earlier took out the 50m breaststroke title in a world record time.

Edmistone won in a time of 30.45 seconds, lowering British turned Kiwi Swimmer Zoe Baker’s record by 0.12 of a second.

Fellow Australian Brooke Hanson came third in a time of 30.89.

The results mean Australia’s women have made a clean sweep of all the 50m events at the championships.

And Aristeidis Grigoriadis of Greece has beaten Australia’s Matt Welsh to win the men’s 50 metres breaststroke final.

Grigoriadis won the gold in a time 24.95 seconds after a close finish in which the first six swimmers were separated by less than half a second.

Welsh secured second place in 24.99 with Liam Tancock of Britain third in 25.02.

Germany’s world record holder Thomas Rupprath was sixth in 25.38.

World aquatic championships offered some moments to remember

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MONTREAL (CP) - Some memories from the world aquatic championships, which end Sunday:

Canadian men’s 4×100 relay team: They won the crowd over by wearing Montreal Canadiens jerseys onto the pool deck, then Yannick Lupien, Mike Mintenko, Rick Say and Brent Hayden swam their way to a silver medal. Canadian swimmers rode a wave of emotion for the rest of the meet. You wonder if a bad performance would have affected the Canadian team and attendance for the rest of the week.

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Despatie does it: No one came into the world championships under more pressure than Alexandre Despatie, Canada’s top medal hope. The diver from suburban Laval, Que., came through with gold in the one-metre and three-metre springboard events, performing before packed grandstands. His wins also created a huge leap in interest for the previously neglected championships.

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Water polo bronze: In the wake of Canada’s bronze medal victory over Russia in women’s water polo, veteran players Jana Salat and Ann Dow held up a Canadian flag while celebrating in the pool with teammates and coaches. Then Dow, the co-captain who is retiring after the championships, led the team in a march around the pool deck not only to thank the crowd of about 4,000, but the thousands who supported them.

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Brittany Reimer wins two medals: The Surrey, B.C., teenager finally began to fulfil the potential she showed at the 2003 world championships. After struggling in the spotlight of the Olympics, Reimer stepped forward as a team leader and an Olympic medal threat.

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Michael Phelps sinks in 400 freestyle: The marquee event of the world championships was over before it started when American superstar Michael Phelps failed to qualify for the 400-freestyle final. That spoiled the anticipated matchup with Australia’s Grant Hackett, who easily won the race. Phelps would go on to win six medals at the championships, but it was the swim he didn’t do that people talked about.

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Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion - A surprise bronze on the 10-metre synchronized platform from the diminutive divers was Canada’s first medal and a sign the Canadian team was ready to exceed expectations.

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Bloody nose - Fans cringed as U.S. diver Chelsea Davis was helped from the pool with blood streaming from her nose after hitting the board face-first in the women’s three-metre springboard event. She wasn’t seriously injured, but the gory sight underlined the danger of an otherwise graceful sport.

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All in a day’s work: South African Roland Schoeman broke the world record in the 50-metre butterfly twice in 24 hours. “Not bad for an African,” the 25-year-old said afterwards. He then pleaded for an end to racism. “I think Africa has a race problem and I think we should void that. So, l like I said, not bad for an African, not bad for a South African. Not bad for a human.”

Heyman’s coach sorry: When Canada’s Emilie Heymans finished fourth in the 10-metre platform event her coach Michel Larouche told reporters she had lacked intensity in training and needed to put her personal life in order. The next day Larouche made a public apology to Heymans. “The comments I made were clearly unacceptable,” he said. “I’m an experienced coach, and coming from me, it’s intolerable.”

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Media swim competition: Some competitors stood on the starting block with stomachs hanging over baggy swim trucks. Others had rippling muscles squeezed into racing suits. The media swim competition pitted the want-a-bes against those who had done it. Former Olympic champions like Britain’s Nick Gillingham, a member of the British press contingent, raced reporters who usually move fastest on a big story. Not always a pretty sight but entertaining.