Swm: Dutchman Hoogie does it again

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2004
Swm: Dutchman Hoogie does it again

By Julian Linden

ATHENS, Aug 18 Reuters - Pieter van den Hoogenband won the men's 100 metres freestyle
at the Athens Olympics tonight to become just the third man to win swimming's premier
race on two occasions.

The flying Dutchman retained the title he won in Sydney in a slick 48.17 seconds, but
just failed to beat the world record he set in Sydney four years ago although two other
records fell.

The United States broke the oldest world record in swimming to win the women's 4x200m
freestyle relay and claim their sixth gold medal in the pool.

Australia's Jodie Henry smashed the women's 100 freestyle world record in the semi-finals
to confirm her place as the favourite for tomorrow's final.

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima captured his second gold by easily winning the 200m breaststroke
four days after he took the 100m while Otylia Jedrzejczak won the women's 200m butterfly
to become Poland's first Olympic swimming champion.

Van den Hoogenband joined Johnny Weissmuller and Alexander Popov as the only men to
successfully defend the 100m freestyle title with a perfectly timed swim, hitting the
front in the final two strokes.

South African Roland Schoeman finished second in 48.23s to add a silver to the relay
gold he won on the weekend after turning for home well in front.

"I'm not sure when I caught him, I was in a kind of trance, in a flow, doing my job
and not thinking," said van den Hoogenband. "I'm so happy, really. I was touching the
wall and the camera was zooming in and I'd won. It's great."

Ian Thorpe finished third in 48.56s, flashing home from sixth at the halfway mark after
winning the 200-400m freestyle double earlier in the meet.

The US quartet of Natalie Coughlin, Carly Vollmer, Dana Vollmer and Kaitlin Sandeno
wiped the last East German record from the books with a combined time of seven minutes
53.42 seconds.

The old mark of 7:55.47 was set exactly 17 years ago to the day but was doomed from
the moment Coughlin, who won the 100m backstroke gold, raced through the leadoff almost
three seconds under world record pace. China finished second and Germany third.

Henry, who anchored Australia to gold in the 4x100 relay on Saturday, sliced 0.14 seconds
off the previous world mark of 53.66 set by her compatriot Libby Lenton at the Australian
championships earlier this year.

She qualified more than half a second ahead of defending champion Inge de Bruijn.

Jedrzejczak came through strongly to score a close victory over Petria Thomas in the
200m butterfly final after the Australian beat her for the 100m on Sunday.

The Pole clocked 2:06.05, outside her own 2:05.78 world mark set at the European championships
in Berlin in August 2002. Thomas took the silver in 2:06.36 and Yuko Nakanishi of Japan
won bronze in 2:08.04.

Japan's Kitajima, angered at American accusations he had used an illegal dolphin kick
during his 100m victory on the weekend, led all the way to win the 200m breaststroke gold
in 2:09.44.

Hungary's Daniel Gyurta, just 15 years old, flashed home to grab the silver and relegate
American world record holder Brendan Hansen to third.

Reuters sp

KEYWORD: OLY SWM DAYLEAD

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