Neethling Wins Three Short-Course Races

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) _ Ryk Neethling of South Africa won three short-course races Saturday to close in on the FINA World Cup overall title. <br/><br/>Neethling won the 50-meter butterfly in 23.17

Saturday, February 19th 2005, 10:50 am

By: News On 6

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) _ Ryk Neethling of South Africa won three short-course races Saturday to close in on the FINA World Cup overall title.

Neethling won the 50-meter butterfly in 23.17 seconds, the 100 freestyle in 47.50 and the 100 individual medley in 52.77 at the World Cup's last leg. He entered the meet 45 points ahead of countryman Rolando Schoeman, who's skipping this event.

The final standings after eight meets will be announced after Sunday's races, with the champion taking home $50,000.

Kaitlin Sandeno of the United States won the women's 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 56.68 seconds and the individual medley in 2:14.76, and teammate Natalie Coughlin won the 100 butterfly in 58.71. Therese Alshammar took the women's 50 freestyle in 24.66.

Yuri Prilukov of Russia capped a perfect showing in the men's 400 freestyle, going 8-for-8 this World Cup season by winning Saturday in 3:44.49. Dragos Coman of Romania was second in 3:45.31, followed by Armando Negreiros of Brazil in 3:47.08.

Prilukov also has a chance to finish unbeaten in the 1,500 freestyle, which is Sunday.

Roman Sludnov of Russia won the 50 breaststroke in 27.26 and the 200 breaststroke in 2:09.56.

Other winners included Thomas Ruppratch of Germany in the 100 backstroke (51.76), Nikolay Skvortsov of Russia in the 200 butterfly (1:53.79) and Thiago Pereira of Brazil in the 400 individual medley (4:15.69).