THREE WORLD RECORDS AND SEVEN GAMES RECORDS ON NIGHT FIVE

JEREMY KNOWLES SMASHES THE BAHAMAS NATIONAL 200 IM RECORD AGAIN

 

March 20, 2006

 

On the same night that Jamaica won two Gold and a Silver in the Track and Field Competition, three World Records and seven Commonwealth Games Records were smashed in the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre Pool. Another Games record was missed by just .01 of a second.

 

Jeremy Knowles may have placed eighth in the Men’s 200 M IM Final, but his 2:02.85 bettered the Bahamas National Record he had set in the heats. Bradley Ally improved his time too, swimming 2:02.45 but had to be satisfied with 6th place. The event was won by Scotland’s Tait Gregor for his second Gold Medal of the Games swimming 2:00.73.

 

The first record to be challenged was the Women’s 50 M Backstroke, when home town girl Sophie Edington equaled Giaan Rooney (Australia) record of 28.42 set in the semi-finals. Rooney finished a fingernail behind timing 28.43 and Tayliah Zimmer also of Australia third in 28.71.

 

The Men’s 100 M Freestyle EAD saw two World Records being broken. Matthew Cowdrey swam 27.44 to improve the S9 record by 1.20 seconds while Canada’s Benoit Huot bettered the S10 record by .10 seconds.

 

Leisel Jones lowered her World Record in the Women’s 100 M Breaststroke and blew the field away swimming 1:05.09, more the half a second faster that the 1:05.71 she swam one month earlier. Australia’s Jade Edmistone took the Silver timing 1:07.24 and Scotland’s Kirsty Balfour close behind for the Bronze touching in 2:07.95.

 

The other Games records to fall were the Men’s 100 M Backstroke Final (Liam Tancock, Australia – 54.53), Women’s 200 M Backstroke (Joanna Fargus, Australia – 2:10.36) and the Women’s 50 Freestyle (Lisbeth Lenton, Australia – 24.61). Australia’s Brett lowered the Men’s 50 Free record in heat two of the semi-finals (22.30).

 

The Women’s 4x100 M Freestyle Relay once again highlighted how strong the Australian woman are as Lisbeth Lenton, Jodie Henry, Alice Mills and Shayne Reese knocked an incredible 4 seconds off the games record swimming 3:36.49. England touched second in 3:42.69 and Canada third timing 3:42.84.

 

Scotland’s Caitlin McClatchey won the Gold in the Women’s 400 M Freestyle and missed Sarah Newcastle’s Games Record of 4:07.68 by the slimmest of margins, swimming 4:0769.