OMAHA, Neb. -- Dana Vollmer was fast in the 100-meter butterfly preliminaries. She was faster in the semifinals. And the Granbury product hopes to go fastest in the finals tonight (7 p.m., KXAS/5).
Vollmer, 24, broke the U.S. Open and Olympic trials meet records in the prelims Monday morning with a 56.59. She broke those records and her own American record in the semifinals Monday night, swimming a 56.42.All that's left is the world record, a 56.06 owned by Sweden's Sarah Sjoestroem from 2009 when speedsuits were allowed."I'm still hoping for that 55," Vollmer said. "I've been having really good practices and going faster than I ever have in workouts. So it's just putting it together, knowing that the things that I've been doing, the ocean training, the Pilates and all that stuff, is coming together and making me really strong in the water."After missing the Olympics in 2008, Vollmer is the overwhelming favorite in her specialty this year. Her semifinal time was the fourth-fastest ever. No other swimmer Monday was close.Stanford's Elaine Breeden posted the second-fastest time (58.18) in the semis, with Texas' Kathleen Hersey third-best (58.19). Natalie Coughlin (58.27) and Texas A&M's Caroline McElhany (58.51) also qualified for the final.Charean Williams, 817-390-7760
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