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Vancouver's Annamay Pierse setting world records in swimming
Annamay Pierse, Canada's relay team break world records at British Grand Prix
(CP) – 1 hour ago
LEEDS, England — It was a world record day for Canada at the British Grand Prix swim meet Friday.
Vancouver's Annamay Pierse broke her own world short course record in the women's 200-metre breaststroke while Canada's 4x200 freestyle relay team also set a world mark.
Pierse lowered the mark for the second time this year, clocking two minutes 16.83 seconds ahead of Vancouver's Martha McCabe (2:23.23). Hanna Pierse, Annamay's sister, finished third in 2:24.63.
In the relay, Colin Russell of Oakville, Ont., Victoria's Stefan Hirniak, Brent Hayden of Vancouver and Joel Greenshields of Airdrie, Alta., clocked 6:51.05 to lower the previous mark of 6:52.66 set by Australia in 2007.
"We had our sights sets on the record a couple of months ago and it was exciting to get it," said Greenshields. "When Brent pulled away from the field I just wanted to go in there and give it everything I had. Initially I wasn't sure if we got the record but once it was announced it was an incredible feeling."
Hayden said the key to the record was the confidence level of the four swimmers.
"It takes four guys to come together and believe in one common goal for a world record to happen in a relay," said Hayden, who also won the 100 freestyle earlier Friday. "We all knew we had a shot at it and when Colin got us off to such a great start it made us even hungrier."
A second Canadian relay squad of Hassaan Abdel-Khalik of Mississauga, Ont., Victoria's Blake Worsley and Ryan Cochrane, and Adam Szoo of Quebec City finished second in 6:56.17.
In the women's 200, Pierse initially set the world short course record this past March at the Spring Nationals in Toronto with a time of 2:17.50.
"It feels pretty awesome to get the record again," said Pierse, who just a week ago broke the long course 200 breaststroke world record at the world championships in Rome.
"It was definitely a goal, especially after swimming so well at the world championships. I knew I could still go fast.
"The last 50 metres was the key part of my race. I was really strong, didn't lose focus and pushed myself all the way to the end."
Even though her main event for the season had just passed, Pierse wants winning and setting records to become a habit.
"I've had such a great season," she said. "This meet was part of the schedule and I wasn't going to let my guard down until I'm done. I have to be consistent with getting better at every meet and being one of the best in the world so when I get to London (for the 2012 Olympics) it will be easier."
In short course swimming, the racers turn every 25 metres instead of every 50 metres.
In the women's 100 individual medley, Julia Wilkinson of Toronto broke the Canadian record to win the event in 59.28 seconds.
Erica Morningstar of Calgary won the silver in 1:00.14 and Jennifer Beckberger of Ajax, Ont., who initially set the national record in the preliminaries at 1:00.41, was third in 1:00.17.
"I'm happy but not satisfied," said Wilkinson. "I was gunning for the world record and just missed it by less than a half second. My turns were a lot better in the final and my breaststroke to freestyle transition was very strong. I probably needed just a bit more training."
Wilkinson underwent shoulder surgery last fall and only returned to training this spring.
In the women's 4X200 freestyle relay, Genevieve Saumur of Montreal, Wilkinson, Alexandra Gabor of Whitehorse, and Heather MacLean of Toronto won the silver in a Canadian record 7:45.04, surpassing the previous mark of 7:51.80.
A second Canadian relay squad of Calgary's Kevyn Peterson and Breanna Hendriks, Sinead Russell of Oakville, and Barbara Jardin of Montreal finished third.
In the men's 100 breaststroke, Calgary's Paul Kornfeld lowered the Canadian record winning the gold in 57.10.
Mathieu Bois of Montreal, who had beaten the record in the prelims clocking 58.39, finished third in 58.22.
Tanya Hunks of Vancouver won the gold in the women's 800 freestyle with Lindsay Seeman of Newmarket, Ont., third while Victoria Poon and Audrey Lacroix, both of Montreal, took silver and bronze in the 50 butterfly.
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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