Coughlin Breaks American Record at the Toyota Santa Clara International Invitational Grand Prix

Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.) broke her own 100m free American record Friday night at the Toyota International Invitational Grand Prix in Santa Clara, Calif. Coughlin finished with a time of 53.39 to earn silver behind Australia’s Cate Campbell, who won gold with a new U.S. Open time of 53.30. Lacey Nymeyer (Tucson, Ariz.) was third in 54.92.

A total of four meet records fell during the first full day of competition in Santa Clara. In addition to the women’s 100m free, records were broken in the men’s 100m breast, 200m free, 200m fly and the women’s 400m free.

Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa.) won gold in the men’s 100m breast with a meet-record time of 1:00.01. Slovenia’s Damir Dugonjic was second in 1:01.67 and Japan’s Ryo Tateishi was a close third in 1:01.68.

Club Wolverine’s Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.) and Davis Tarwater (Knoxville, Tenn.) each set records in their respective finals. Vanderkaay had a strong swim in the men’s 200m free, breaking the meet record and winning gold in 1:46.24, dropping more than a second off the previous record. Switzerland’s Dominik Meichrty took home the silver medal in 1:47.89 and Michael Klueh (Evansville, Ind.) was third in 1:48.06. In the 200m fly, Tarwater broke the meet record and won gold in 1:55.93, besting the previous record by 12 one-hundredths. Ian Gherghel was second in 1:58.25 and Gil Stovall (Memphis, Tenn.) was third in 1:58.71.

Australia’s Bronte Barratt and Kylie Palmer finished one-two in the women’s 400m free. Barratt took home the gold and meet record with a time of 4:04.57, Palmer was second in 4:05.98 and Kate Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.) was third in 4:07.11.

Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) took home his first gold of the meet with a win in the men’s 400m I.M.  Phelps led the field throughout the race and finished with a time of 4:13.47. Robert Margalis (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was second in 4:15.05 and Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.) was third in 4:22.12.

In other meet action, Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Tex.) won gold in the women’s 100m fly. Vollmer maintained her lead after the first 50-meters to finish in 58.52. Mary DeScenza (Naperville, Ill.) took home the silver in 59.21 and Elaine Breeden (Lexington, Ky.) was third in 59.66. Japan’s Izumi Kato won gold in the women’s 200m breast with a time of 2:27.69. Amanda Beard (Irvine, Calif.) placed second in 2:28.15 and Jessica Schmitt (San Diego, Calif.) placed third in 2:28.41.

The meet continues Saturday with 10 events. The women’s competition includes finals in the 400m I.M., 100m breast, 200m free, 100m back and 800m free relay. The men’s program features finals in the 100m fly, 400m free, 200m back, and 50m free and 800m free relay. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. and finals start at 5 p.m.