Kenyan swimmers wrapped up their competition at the World championships, which ends on Sunday in Shanghai, with Jason Dunford narrowly missing out on a medal in the 100m Butterfly.
Dunford finished just outside the medal bracket in 51.59 in the final won by American Michael Phelps(50.71), a class apart despite a “lack of training”, became the first swimmer ever to retain the title three times after wins in 2007 and 2009.
The silver went to fast-finishing Konrad Czerniak (POL) in 51.15, the bronze to the champion’s US teammate Tyler McGill in 51.26.
In Saturday’s swim Dunford, led the first split in 23.58 position, with his Cavic’s ADN Project teammate,Russian Evgeny Korotyshkin close, American Michael Phelps third in 23.94. Of the wall, Phelps was level with the leaders, who held on for the next 30m as the Olympic champion built a masterful momentum on the way to another tick in a history book overflowing with soaring heights and superlatives.
By 15m from home Phelps had his head and neck out in front, all the while extending his lead, the crown no longer in doubt, even though Czerniak and Tyler, surging past the ADN teammates on the wing just out from the red 5m lane markers, finished with more force than the champion ahead of them.
The fourth place was a big improvement for Dunford who finished seventh in the 50m fly on Monday.
100m Fly result:
1. Michael Phelps (USA) 50.712. Konrad Czerniak (POL) 51.153. Tyler McGill (USA) 51.26 4. Jason Dunford (KEN) 51.59 5. Takuro Fujii (JPN) 51.75 6. Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) 51.86 7. Joeri Verlinden (NED) 52.21 8. Geoff Huegill (AUS) 52.36
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