Top local swimmer George Bovell resumed his FINA Short Course World Cup medal hunt with a bronze in the men's 100 metres individual medley at the Olympiisky Swimming Pool, Moscow, Russia, yesterday.In the final, Bovell who had his World Cup medal halted at 19 medals from 19 finals when he placed fourth in his pet event, the men's 50m freestyle final on the second and final day of competition at the Schwimm-und Sprunghalle im Europa-Sportpark (SSE) Pool, Berlin, Germany in August, touched the wall in 52.88 seconds to trail Russian Vladimir Morozov (51.61) and Australian Kenneth To (51.83) while Brazilian Henriques Rodrigues was fourth in 53.47.Earlier in the morning heats, Morozov was the top qualifier in 53.26 followed by Rodrigues (53.52), To (54.23) and Bovell (54.36).
Today, Bovell will go after gold in his pet event, the 50 metres freestyle.In August, the 30-year-old Bovell also took bronze in the 100m individual medley in 51.65 seconds behind Morozov (51.13) and Australian Kenneth To in 51.21.In the heats, Bovell III who was seeking a second straight gold in the 100m IM won the third and final heat in 52.90 ahead of Germany Dimitri Colupaev (53.15) and Markus Deibler (53.24).In August, Bovell, a four-time Olympian began the World Cup with gold in the 100m individual medley in a new national record mark at the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium Eindhoven, Holland, when he touched the wall in 51.15 seconds.The time bettered his 51.20 clocking set in winning gold on October 20 last year in Berlin, Germany, the fifth stop of the 2012 World Cup. Second home in the final was his World Cup rival To in 51.31 while Morozov, got bronze in 51.50.
Bovell also competed in the men's 50m breaststroke but missed out on a spot in the gold medal splash by one spot after he was fifth in the second and final heat in 27.23 to be the ninth fastest in the field.A day later he got bronze in the men's 50m freestyle final after he clocked 21 seconds flat out of lane six, to trail Russian World Long Course 50m freestyle silver medal winner, Morozov (20.66), and World Long Course 100m freestyle champion, Magnussen (20.98), who also won the 100m freestyle (45.60) in Holland on Wednesday.
Bovell will also compete in the other legs of the World in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (October 17-18); Doha, Qatar (October 20-21); Singapore (November 5-6)' Tokyo, Japan (November 9-10) and Beijing, China, (November 13-14).