Hurley and To win double gold in Doha

Swimming Australia
Published: Oct 7, 2012 09:14:32 AM Updated: Oct 31, 2012 12:06:10 PM

Wollongong swimmer Robert Hurley has won two gold medals at the FINA World Cup in Doha overnight, alongside Kenneth To, with Aussie swimmers picking up a total of five gold medals on the opening night of competition. 

A former world record holder in the 50m backstroke for short course swimming, and member of the Australian team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Hurley won the men’s 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle for his first titles of the series so far. 

Touching out Russian Stanislav Donets in the backstroke for gold in a time 50.18, with Victorian Ashley Delaney coming in fifth in 51.30, Hurley was dominant in the 400m freestyle winning by more than a second and a half ahead of China’s Kecheng Wang in 3:42.89. 

In the men’s 100m freestyle West Australian Olympian Tommaso D’Orsogna and NSWIS swimmer To finishing in a dead heat for gold in a time of 47.10. It was almost an all Australian podium finish with Kyle Richardson finishing fourth in 47.57 behind American Anthony Ervin. 

With two gold medals presented in a dead-heat, Australia’s fifth gold medal of the night saw 20-year-old To win back-to-back 100m IM titles in a time of 51.58.  D’Orsogna was fifth in 53.13. 

In the women’s 50m backstroke, Rachel Goh had to settle for silver behind Japanese rival Noriko Inada. Having won the backstroke double in Dubai during the week, Goh finished in a time of 27.67 with Inada winning in 27.29. Ashley Delaney finished seventh in men’s 50m butterfly in 23.55

The Doha leg of the FINA World Cup series will conclude tonight before moving on to Stockholm next weekend. For full results go to www.fina.org