Swimming's Polyakov Takes Gold at World Championships
4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Alabama swimmer Vlad Polyakov, representing his native Kazakhstan, became a World Champion today at the 2006 Fina World Short Course Swimming Championships being held in Shanghai this week.
Polyakov won the 200 breaststroke with a 2:06.95 in a thrilling showdown with Australia’s Brenton Rickard. Rickard led the first half of the race before Polyakov chased him down over the last 100-meters to take the gold.
It was Khazakstan’s first ever gold medal at the World Championships and a victory for Polyakov, who has been a finalist in the breaststroke events on the world stage for the past several years. Polyakov won bronze medals in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the 2004 World Championships held in Indianapolis and was a finalist in both those events at the 2004 Olympics.
Polyakov is the two-time defending Southeastern Conference 100 and 200 breaststroke champion and the SEC record holder in the 200. He is also the school record holder in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes and as part of the 200 and 400 medley relays. He has finished in the top-2 in the 200 breaststroke in each of his first three NCAA Championships, including a first place finish in 2005.
A junior, Polyakov will return for his final season in 2006-07.
