George Bovell III picked up his second bronze in three days when he competed in the men’s 100m backstroke final on the closing night of the Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invitational Swim Meet in Austin on Sunday. In the final, Bovell III, 28, touched the wall in 56.06 seconds to trail winner Matt Thompson (55.88 secs) and Patrick Murphy (56.01) home at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Centre. This, after the T&T Olympic bronze medal winner led most of the way before fading in the end. Other finishers in the final were Kip Darmody (56.08), Chris Brady (56.65), Cole Cragin (57.09), Sam Tierney (57.16) and Kevin Doak (58.21). Commenting on his race, the T&T swimmer said, “I went out very fast in the fist half and paid for it when my legs ran out of gas, so to speak.”
“This is exactly why I am doing this race, a great training exercise for the 50m freestyle. Its a good time, just shy of my best, so I’m pleased,” ended Bovell. Earlier on Sunday in the heats, Bovell III qualified as the second fastest in 56.71, behind Thompson’s, 56.20. Murphy was next fastest in 56.80 followed by Cragin (57.65), Tierney (57.90), Brady (58.01), Darmody (58.40) and Doak (58.58).
On Saturday, Bovell III won gold in the 50m freestyle in 22.11 seconds, to beat 100m freestyle champion Jimmy Feigen (22.21) and Brady (22.78) into second and third respectively after he was the top qualifier in the heats in 22.46. A day earlier Bovell (49.84) was beaten into third spot in the 100m freestyle final by Feigen (48.63) and Michael Phelps (49.05). Bovell, who returned to his Ann Arbor Michigan training base at the University of Michigan will next compete at the Canada Cup in Montreal at the end of June as he continues his preparations for the next month’s London Olympic Games, his fourth.
-Nigel Simon
Source: www.guardian.co.tt