FINA World Cup 12 - Day 1 Report
1999-03-03

IMPERIA - Swimmers from 33 countries took part on the first day of the 12th and final World Cup at Imperia's Felice Cascione swimming pool, in Italy's Riviera Ligure, between Monte Carlo and Genoa.

Top performer was Agnes Kovacs (HUN) winner of the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.06, (31.59 split) the fastest time of the current season. It was her 4th consecutive breastroke win. It is 7th fastest on the all time list.

Dimitri Komornikov (RUS) won the men's 200 breaststroke in 2:08.99, a personal best and the fastest World Cup winning time of the current series. The 17-year-old newcomer to the international spotlight shows a lot of promise and impressed with his classic technique. Domenico Fioravanti (ITA) won the 50 breaststroke in 28.05 over Patrik Isaksson (SWE) with 28.41 and Kevin Kling (USA) in 28.42.

Yana Klochkova (UKR) won the 200 IM with 2:12.01. It was her 11th IM win on the current series and moved her into the category points lead with 107 points over Marianne Limpert (CAN) who has 103.

Johanna Sjoberg (SWE) won the 100 butterfly in 58.63 her fourth win in the 100 fly of the six competitions she has taken part. She already clinched the fly category points lead last weekend and this is icing on the cake worth US $ 10,000.

Other highlights:

Mette Jacobsen (DEN) won the 200 freestyle in 1:57.81 the fastest World Cup winning time this season.

Marcel Wouda (NED) won the 400 IM with 4:10.97 over Christian Keller (GER) with 4:12.81. Keller later won the 100 IM in 55.24 and adds to his points total having won the IM category earlier.

Denis Silantiev won 6th 200 butterfly in 1:54.94 (55.17 split) the fastest time in this year World Cup. Anatoli Poliakov (RUS) in second with 1.55.81. Silantiev already won the fly category with 104 points.

In the 400 free Emiliano Brembilla (ITA) held off with 3:45.08 a rapidly charging Chad Carvin (USA) with 3:45.65 and had the partisan Italian crowd cheering him on.

Eva Risztov (HUN) won the 800 freestyle with 8:32.40 over Rebecca Cooke (GBR) with 8:35.05 and Sarah Collings (GBR) in 8:37.75. Risztov is 13 and shows much potential.

Annamaria Kiss (HUN) won the 200 backstroke in 2:10.99 giving the Hungarians their third first place of the first day.

Consistency for Milos Milosevic (CRO) in winning the 50 fly in 23.77. He won this event at the first World Cup in Rio last November with 23.76 and in Glasgow with 23.77.