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Goodwill Games - Day 6 Report

Sep 3, 2001  - Men's Final

GOLD MEDAL MATCH 7
World All-Stars v Australia

The World All-Stars assembled a strong team of Mark Versfeld, Morgan Knabe, Mike Mintenko and Nick Folker. The race certainly went that way. Australia thru Matt Welsh had a narrow lead when Regan Harrison hit the water for breaststroke. Morgan Knabe World (CAN) gradually pegged Harrison back and took the lead at the 75m mark, giving butterflyer Mintenko World (CAN) a small lead in his battle royal with Micheal Klim, who managed to reduce the gap of 0.18. Ian Thorpe AUS set out after Nick Folker World (RSA). At the turn it was Folker by 0.45. Then the Thorpedo went into overdrive and came home with a winning burst to take first by a margin of 1.11 secs.

World Team responded by taking the 400 IM thru Dean Kent (NZL). Then it was Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett in the 200m Free going one, two for the Aussies and the scoreline now AUS 19, WLD 6.

Team Australia won the next three races; Matt Welsh 100m Back, Geoff Huegill 50m Fly, and Brett Hawke 50m Free.

Morgan Knabe WLD (CAN) spoilt the party and took a narrow win from Phil Rogers and Simon Cowley in 100m Breast. The Scoreboard AUS 43 WLD 18.

Michael Klim swam the 200m butterfly for Australia with specialist distance flyer Justin Norris. Klim took out the honours for the race with a clear win by 1.24 secs from Andrew Livingston WLD (PUR). At the half time interval AUS 49 WLD 21.

The match continued with the 100m Free after the break and we saw Ian Thorpe in action in his first individual 100 free for the Games. He was untroubled to take out the five points in 49.21.

Ray Hass and Matt Welsh took 1st and 2nd in the 200m Backstroke for the Aussies to cement their hold on the match.

Jim Piper the young newcomer to the Aussie breaststroke ranks swam a five pointer for his team in the good time of 2:12.58; Terence Parkin WLD (RSA) took second with 2:13.64

Grant Hackett was untroubled to win the 400m in 3:46.4646 with teammate Craig Stevens 2nd. Geoff Huegill continued his winning ways with a 52.87 100m fly from Mike Mintenko WLD (CAN) 53.12.

A tired but tough Matt Welsh doubled with a top point swim in the 50m Back 25.99 from Mark Versfeld (CAN) 26.45. Morgan Knabe (CAN) 28.67 led teammate Brett Petersen (RSA) 28.92 for a quinella to the World All-Stars.

Robert van der Zant took out his third 1st place in the 200m IM for the Games in the strong time of 2:01.79.

The Freestyle Relay had no bearing on the medal result but the crowd enjoyed the thrill of seeing Ian Thorpe have to fight back after Fernando Scherer caught him with 50m to go on the last leg. The Thorpedo did not disappoint his fans, Australia winning the last event of the 2001 Goodwill Games.

The Event Winners:

World All-Stars Australia
400m Medley Relay 3:37.96
400m IM Dean Kent 4:19.04 969
*200m Free Grant Hackett 1:50.63 942
*100m Back Matt Welsh 55.97 953
50m Fly Geoff Huegill 23.76 1002
50m Free Brett Hawke 22.58 953
100m Breast Morgan Knabe 1:02.46 959
200m Fly Michael Klim 1:58.05 972
100m Free Ian Thorpe 49.21 977
*200 Back Ray Hass 2:00.14 965
200m Breast Jim Piper 2:12.58 988
*400m Free Grant Hackett 3:46.46 988
100m Fly Geoff Huegill 52.87 983
50m Back Matt Welsh 25.99 968
*50m Breast Morgan Knabe 28.67 950 200m IM Robt vd Zant 2:01.79 974
400m Freestyle relay 3:19.32

GOLD MEDAL - AUSTRALIA 104
SILVER MEDAL - WORLD ALL-STARS 60


BRONZE MEDAL MATCH 8
Europe All-Stars v United States

The match for the bronze was evenly balanced to the half time break at end of the eighth race. Score USA 32 Europe 38. Europe leading mainly due to their win in the relay, which gave them a 7-zip start on the scoreboard.

Tom Malchow came out after the interval with a further improved time in this final, 1:55.20, second best male swim of the meet with 1007 IPS.

Then Scott Tucker with the easiest of wins in the 100 Free 51.64,put the USA in front for the first time in the match. USA 40 Europe 39.Wilkens 200m Breaststroke and Chad Carvin 400m Free before the Europeans got on the winners list thru Lars Frolander in 100m Butterfly.

Team Manager Marcel Wouda came out of retirement again to swim the 50m breaststroke but the Americans took the top points in the event thru Jarrod Marrs.

Outnumbered, the Europeans did well to be as close as they were.

The Event Winners:

Europe All-Stars United States
400m Medley Relay 3:39.86 400m IM Tom Wilkens 4:18.88 969
200m Free Pieter vd Hoogenband 1:48.11 976 *50m Fly Joris Keizer 24.65 948
100m Back Vladislav Aminov 55.71 960 *50m Free Gary Hall 22.27 974
100m Breast Dmitri Komornikov 1:02.64 955 200m Fly Tom Malchow 1:55.20 1007
*100m Free Scott Tucker 51.64 905
200m Back Chris Dejong 2:02.21 940
200m Breast Tom Wilkens 2:15.26 959
400m Free Chad Carvin 3:52.01 952
*100m Fly Lars Frolander 53.13 976
50m Breaststroke Jarrod Marrs 28.73 947
50m Back Jayme Cramer 25.89 974
200m IM Tom Wilkens 2:03.02 952
400m Freestyle Relay 3:19.09

BRONZE MEDAL - United States 87
FOURTH PLACE - Europe All-Stars 62