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Olympic Swimming Recaps: 25 July (Day 6)

Men's 1500m Freestyle Swimming/Preliminaries

PERKINS Will Defend Title

A pair of Australians, Kieren PERKINS and Daniel KOWALSKI, are considered the front-runners for gold in this event. PERKINS is the 1992 gold medal winner and world record holder (14:41.66). KOWALSKI completed the morning heats with the fastest time of 15:12.55. If PERKINS wants to claim gold in Atlanta, he will need to improve his time of 15:21.42, reaching his second Olympic final by 0.23 seconds. Graeme SMITH (GBR) is also a strong medal contender posting the fastest time in 1996 of 15:03.43. His time Thursday morning was 15:14.69.


Women's 800m Freestyle Swimming/Final

BENNETT Destroys Field

The past two Olympic Games, Janet EVANS (USA) dominated the 800m freestyle. Tonight, however, another U.S. swimmer claimed the gold medal. Brooke BENNETT (USA), the No. 1-ranked swimmer in the world, stood up to her billing by destroying the field with a time of 8:27.89. Ironically BENNETT is the same age, 16, that EVANS was when she won her first gold medal. Her nearest competitor was Dagmar HASE (GER), the silver medalist at 8:29.91. Kirsten VLIEGHUIS (NED), in her first Olympic final, finished third with a national record time of 8:30.84. EVANS, in her final race, finished sixth with a mark of 8:38.91.


Final Results: Gold - Brooke BENNETT (USA), 8:27.89; Silver - Dagmar HASE (GER), 8:29.91; Bronze - Kirsten VLIEGHUIS (NED), 8:30.84.

"It felt great! It's a dream come true! I never knew how it would feel touching the wall, but once I did it felt great," BENNETT.said "I did this for my grandfather and I just don't know how I'm going to react when I hear my anthem."


Men's 50m Freestyle Swimming/Final

POPOV World's Fastest Swimmer

Aleksandr POPOV (RUS) became a four-time Olympic champion by the narrowest of margins - 0.13 seconds. In the fastest 20 seconds in sports, POPOV etched his name in the Olympic record books. He became the only swimmer in history to win the gold medal in both the 50m and 100m freestyle in back-to-back Olympic Games. POPOV posted a time of 22.13 while Gary HALL (USA) was second at 22.26. Fernando SCHERER (BRA) won his first Olympic medal, claiming bronze at 22.29. HALL's silver medal was his second in Atlanta.


Final Results: Gold - Aleksandr POPOV (RUS), 22.13; Silver - Gary HALL Jr. (USA), 22.26; Bronze - Fernando SCHERER (BRA), 22.29.

"It's hard to win once, even harder to win twice and almost impossible to win three times," POPOV said. "I will celebrate for a while and then get back into training and get ready for the next competition."


Women's 200m Backstroke Swimming/Final

Three In a Row

Krisztina EGERSZEGI (HUN) made Olympic history by winning a gold medal for the third time in the same event. Ranked No. 1 in the world the past 12 years, EGERSZEGI destroyed the rest of the field by 4 seconds. She ripped through the water at a clip of 2:07.83. Whitney HEDGEPETH (USA), silver medalist in the 100m backstroke, was second again with a time of 2:11.98. Cathleen RUND (GER), in her first Olympic final, was third at 2:12.06.


Final Results: Gold - Krisztina EGERSZEGI (HUN), 2:07.83; Silver - Whitney HEDGEPETH (USA), 2:11.98; Bronze - Cathleen RUND (GER), 2:12.06.

Men's 200m Individual Medley Swimming/Final

CZENE Upsets SIEVINEN

Attila CZENE (HUN), swimming in Lane 1, kept the Hungary streak alive by upsetting the No. 1-ranked swimmer in the world in this event, Jani SIEVINEN of Finland. CZENE set an Olympic record with a time of 1:59.91. SIEVINEN, who holds the world record in this event, was second at 2:00.13. Curtis MYDEN (CAN) finished third at 2:01.13. Hungary has now laid claim to the gold medal in this event the past three Olympic Games. Tamas DARNYI was the gold medalist in 1988 and 1992.


Final Results: Gold - Attila CZENE (HUN), 1:59.91, OR; Silver - Jani SIEVINEN (FIN), 2:00.13; Bronze - Curtis MYDEN (CAN), 2:01.13.

"I just couldn't believe it. I can't believe it right now," CZENE said. "I didn't see anything, you know, in the first lane. I can't believe I won."


Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Swimming/Final

United States Sets Olympic Record

The United States continued to dominate the relay competition by winning the 4 x 200m freestyle. This was the fifth relay of the swimming competition with the United States collecting gold medals in all five. The foursome of Trina JACKSON, Cristina TEUSCHER, Sheila TAORMINA and Jenny THOMPSON won the event with an Olympic record of 7:59.87. Germany finished second at 8:01.55 while Australia was third at 8:05.47.


Final Results: Gold - USA, 7:59.87, OR; Silver - GER, 8:01.55; Bronze - AUS, 8:05.47.
Men's 50m Freestyle/Preliminaries

POPOV/HALL Rematch Set

The stage has been set for the two fastest swimmers in the world to again dual for gold. Aleksandr POPOV (RUS), known as the "Russian Rocket," swam the fastest 50m freestyle time of Thursday morning at 22.22. POPOV, already a three-time Olympic champion, holds the Olympic record in this event (21.91). A close second is Gary HALL (USA) who posted a 22.36. HALL finished second to POPOV in the 100m freestyle earlier in the week. Based on qualifying times, the race could be the fastest 50m final in swimming history. The remainder of the field includes JIANG Chengji (CHN) who established a national record (22.55); Brendon DEDEKIND (RSA), 22.60; Brendon DEDEKIND (RSA), 22.60; David FOX (USA), 22.64 and Fernando SCHERER (BRA), 22.68. Only 0.46 seconds separates the field. SCHERER advanced to the finals by winning a three-way swim off between Francisco SANCHEZ (VEN) and Bengt ZIKARSKY (GER). ZIKARSKY appeared to be the swimoff winner but was disqualified for a second false start.


Women's 2000m Backstroke/Preliminaries

EGERSZEGI Seeks Gold

Krisztina EGERSZEGI (HUN), has put herself in position to make Olympic history. The world (2:06.62) and Olympic record holder (2:07.06), EGERSZEGI will attempt to defend her 1988 and 1992 gold medal titles and could become. the first swimmer in history to be crowned Olympic champion in the same event three times. EGERSZEGI swam the fastest qualifying mark of 2:09.18. She will be chased by the silver medalist in the 100m backstroke Whitney HEDGEPETH (USA). HEDGEPETH posted a 2:11.63 qualifying time. Anke SCHOLZ, who had not recorded a time in the top 10 this year, will be the third seed with a 2:12.73. The remainder of the field includes, Miki NAKAO (JPN), 2:12.92; Nina ZHIVANEVSKAYA (RUS), 2:13.22; Lorenza VIGARANI (ITA), 2:13.58; Cathleen RUND (GER), 2:13.58; Anna SIMCIC (NZL), 2:13.74. Beth BOTSFORD (USA) the gold medalist in the 100m backstroke, failed to qualify finishing ninth with a 2:14.16.


Men's 200m Individual Medley/Preliminaries

World Record Holder Top Seed

World record holder Jani SIEVINEN (FIN) and Tom DOLAN (USA) are expected to battle for top honors Thursday night in the 200m individual medley. SIEVENEN cruised through the water with the fastest time of the morning at 2:01.05. DOLAN, who has already won a gold medal in the 400m individual medley, will be seeded sixth with a time of 2:01.99. The second seed is Marcel WOUDA (NED) who set a national record of 2:01.21; Matthew DUNN (AUS) also set a national record with the third fastest time of 2:01.44; The remainder of the field includes Curtis MYDEN (CAN), 2:01.50; Greg BURGESS (USA), 2:01.93; 1992 bronze medalist Attila CZENE (HUN), who finished third in Barcelona, (2:02.10); Xavier MARCHAND (FRA), 2:03.17.


Women's 4 X 200m Freestyle Relay/Preliminaries

New Final Tonight

The United States will be favored to win their fifth relay gold in a new Olympic event. The U.S. posted a qualifying time of 8:04.99 which will officially go into the record books as an Olympic record. They are a full four seconds ahead of Germany at 8:08.58 and five seconds ahead of Australia at 8:09.33. The remainder of the field includes Japan (8:09.46); Romania (8:10.77); Canada (8:12.03); Netherlands (8:12.78); China (8:13.29).


This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.


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