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Japanese Olympian swimmer Mai Nakamura led the women's 100 meters backstroke heats and her teammate Tomoko Hagiwara topped the women's 200m individual medley at the 21st World University Games on Friday.
Nakamura, 100m backstroke silver medalist in Sydney Olympic Games, enjoyed her one-upmanship in the heats, clocking with a time of one minute 2.25 seconds, while her closest rival Susan Woessner of the United States was more than one second behind. Another Japanese Reiko Nakamura placed third.
Hagiwara, reigning champion in the 200m individual medley, qualified fastest in 2:16.39, with Spaniard Pavla Carballido came to second 2:16.47 and American Kathryn Yevak third 2:18.53.
American swimmers dominated in the other three women's heats in the 100m breaststroke, 50m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay.
Tara Kirk came home first in 1:10.68 for the 100m breaststroke, Bethany Goodwin set the newly added 50m butterfly meet record with 27.42 while the relay team swept the 4x200m freestyle in 8:11.68.
Swiss Karel Novy took the first place in the men's 100m freestyle in 50.47, beating Frenchman Romain Barnier by 0.01 seconds. Vyacheslav Shyrshov of Ukraine came to third with 50.59.
Six finals will be held this evening, women's 100m freestyle and 800m freestyle relay and men's 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 200m breaststroke and 800m freestyle.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/24/2001)
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