The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : South Africa sours Phelps' dream

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

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Sport - Olympic Games

South Africa sours Phelps' dream

Petria Thomas (left) of Australia, who won gold in the 100m butterfly, with Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands, who had to settle for the bronze. - AP

ATHENS, AUG. 15. South Africa spoiled the expected duel between the United States and Australia in the 400m freestyle relay on Sunday, setting a world record and assuring that Michael Phelps won't break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals.

The best Phelps can do is tie Spitz after the South Africans cruised to a stunning win in 3 minutes, 13.17 seconds. The Netherlands took silver at 3:14.36, while Phelps and his American teammates could only manage bronze at 3:14.62.

It was the worst showing ever for the Americans, who had never lost an Olympic 400 free relay until they were upset by the Australians at the 2000 Sydney Games — both teams breaking the previous world record.

The Aussie mark of 3:13.67 was shattered by the South African team of Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling. Schoeman went out strong, and Neethling closed it out with a stunning 47.91 on the final 100.

The Americans were doomed by Ian Crocker's dismal start. He went out in 50.05 — the worst 100 of any swimmer — and left his teammates with a margin they could not make up.

Phelps went second and got the Americans up to sixth with a time of 48.74. Neil Walker and Jason Lezak tried furiously to catch the South Africans, to no avail. Swimming the anchor, Lezak expended so much energy on his first 50 that he was passed by Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands at the wall.

At least the Americans got a medal. The Australians were a disappointing sixth, unable to catch up even with Ian Thorpe swimming the anchor.

Using the same team in the morning, the South Africans nearly set a world record in the preliminaries with a time of 3:13.84.

The American coaches put Phelps on the team at the expense of Hall, an eight-time Olympic medallist who has griped that U.S. coaches were giving Phelps special treatment in his bid to break Spitz's 1972 record.

Gold for Petria

Petria Thomas of Australia upset defending Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn in the 100m butterfly while American swimmer Jenny Thompson was once again denied an individual gold.

De Bruijn, the 30-year-old Dutch star, went out strong and was ahead of world-record pace at the turn. But she faded in the final 50, getting passed by both Thomas and Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland.

Thomas won gold in 57.72 seconds, off the pace of de Bruijn's world record swim (56.61) at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Jedrzejczak took silver in 57.84, while de Bruijn settled for bronze at 57.99. — AP

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