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Good moring in World Championship pool for Chinese swimmers

20:16, July 31, 2013

There was a bright start to the fourth morning of racing in the World Swimming Championships for the Chinese swimmers in the pool at the Palau St Jordi in Barcelona on Wednesday.

Wednesday's qualification session began with the heats of the women's 50 meter backstroke with Chinese duo Fu Yuanhui and Zhao Jing clocking the two fastest times in the heats as they finished their laps in 27.55 and 27.81 seconds respectively.

That should give them confidence in the semi-finals which will be held in the evening session in Barcelona.

There was also success for China in the heats of the women's 200 meter butterfly with Liu Zige and Jiao Luiyang coming first and second in their heat, although they only managed the fourth and fifth best qualifying times of the session which was dominated by home favorite Mireia Belmonte Garcia and Hungary's talented Hosszu Katinka, who won gold in the 200 meter individual medley earlier in the week.

James Magnusson was back to his best in the heats of the men's 100 meters freestyle and the Australian managed the fastest time in the heats with 47.71, comfortably ahead second fastest qualifier, Poland's Konrad Czerniak, who reached the semi-finals with a time of 48.50.

The morning session ended with the heats for the men's 200 meter medley and although Ryan Lochte had few problems qualifying for the semi-finals, he will have been slightly disappointed to have followed his failure to win a medal in the men's 200 meter freestyle on Tuesday night, with just the fifth fastest time in qualifying.

The American say the main thing is to be in the semi-finals, but he still looks short of the form he needs to truly be considered the successor of Michael Phelps in the pool.

Hungarian Laszlo Cech was the fastest finished in a time of 1:57.70 and there was more good news for China as Shun Wang made it into the last 16 with the third fastest qualifying time.