Stjepanovic set for Dubai showdown

Sport360 staff 16:58 25/08/2014
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  • On a roll: Velimir Stjepanovic (l) celebrates after winning 400m freestyle gold at the European Championships.

    The newly crowned Commonwealth and European men’s 200m freestyle champions will go head to head in Dubai next week at the FINA/MASTBANK Swimming World Cup which will be held at the Hamdan Sports Complex this weekend.

    The UAE’s own local star Velimir Stjepanovic, who represents Serbia, performed brilliantly at the European Championships in Berlin this week, winning the 200m and 400m freestyle.  

    Stjepanovic took the lead from the outset in the 400m freestyle, then held on to be the first Serbian to ever win the 400m crown in 3:45.66, ahead of Andrea D’Arrgio of Italy 3:46.91 and Great Britain’s Jay Lelliot in 3:47.50.

    Reflecting on his efforts in Berlin, Stjepanovic said: “I went out really fast but that’s the way I usually race. At the final 50m I saw the Italian coming but I told myself that there were only a couple of meters left so I had to give the maximum.”

    He then added the 200m title in similar style, leading from the start.

    The Serb was nearly caught by defending champion Paul Biedermann of Germany in the final lap but powered home to touch first in 1:47.78, just ahead of Biedermann who clocked 1:47.80 and failed in his bid to win his fourth straight 200m title. Olympic and world champion Yannick Agnel of France was third.

    Stjepanovic’s time in the 200m ranks him fifth in the world this year, but he will face some stiff competition in Dubai when he comes up against the new Commonwealth and Pan Pacific champion Thomas Fraser-Holmes of Australia.

    Fraser-Holmes took gold in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July in 1.45.08, a time which put him at the top of the 200m world rankings. He reaffirmed his position as the world number 1 when he stormed home in the last lap to win gold at the Pan Pacific Championships at the Gold Coast, Australia this week.

    After winning gold in Glasgow Fraser-Holmes had the difficult task of staying in prime form and performing in front of the home crowd.

    “I was talking to my coach before the race Denis (Cotterell) and he said ‘do whatever it takes to win’,” said Fraser-Holmes. “He said it’s going to come down to the last eight strokes and I think I didn’t breathe the last seven strokes so I’m pretty thankful he told me that and thankful for my long arms. I’m really proud of the last month.

    "It’s just a really good feeling right now. It sets me up great (for the future). I’m not getting too ahead of myself at all, it’s just more exciting. I can get back into training and really work on my skills and stroke as well.”

    The 200m and 400m are now shaping up as the most hotly contested events on the program in next week’s Swimming World Cup, with Stjepanovic and Fraser-Holmes up against the three swimmers who dominated the events last year, Chad Le Clos of South Africa, Australia’s Bobby Hurley and Poland’s Pawel Kozeniowski, guaranteeing some thrilling racing.

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