There was an early wake-up call for swimmers on day two due to a 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Tokyo which lasted for approximately 30 seconds with relatively no damage.

The damage done to the world record in the women’s 50-metre breaststroke was immense and lasted for less than 30 seconds, however.

The demise of the world record had been on the wall since the start of the World Cup tour. The main protagonists have been Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson and Russia’s Iulia Efimova. Both women made their intentions very clear from the morning heats when they blitzed the field, Efimova touching the pads in 29.17 seconds and Atkinson with second seed of 29.54 seconds. No other swimmer cracked the 30-second barrier, so the stage was set for the battle in the afternoon.

From the starter’s gun it was Atkinson off to a rocket-like start, with a reaction time of 0.63 of a second. Efimova was behind by .08 of a second. The Russian, knowing she could not get left behind early, closed the gap at the 25-metre turn. Atkinson had a slight lead coming off the wall and the race for the world record was on. Both swimmers were stroke-for-stroke heading into the last wall with the momentum favouring the Russian. And with a last desperate lunge for the wall it was Efimova over Atkinson in 28.71 seconds, a new world record, to 29.06, the second fastest time in Atkinson’s career. Finishing third was Germany’s Dorothea Brandt in 30.16 seconds.

Atkinson would next dive into the water for the 100 individual medley final. She would yet again be up against the world record holder form Hungary, Katinka Hosszu, and Australian Alicia Coutts. Atkinson went out much harder than in the Singapore leg with a split of 27.73 seconds, compared to 28.13. Despite the faster two legs of butterfly and backstroke she still trailed in sixth place. The top two at the turn were Coutts in 26.16 in world record pace, and Hosszu, 26.60.

Then came the expected back half fireworks from the Jamaican. Blazing the last two laps of breaststroke and freestyle, she split 30.55 seconds. Despite eating into the deficit with the best second 50 of the field she simply ran out of water to catch the leaders. Her gallant efforts landed her with yet another personal best and the fastest time ever by a Jamaican woman with bronze medal winning time of 58.28 seconds.

Hosszu managed to catch Coutts, but not pass her and both clocked a winning time of 57.53 seconds. Coutts broke her own Commonwealth record of 57.71.

Providing the aftershocks and wrapping up yet another wonderful day of Caribbean swimming was the performance of George Bovell 111. Despite having the slowest reaction time of the field of 0.73 of a second, the 6’5″ Bovell, not breathing on the last 25 metres, posted 21.21 for the bronze medal. Winning was Russian Vladimir Morozov in 20.72. American Anthony Ervin was second in 21.10 seconds.

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