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Phelps Just In; Park, Cseh, Biedermann Out
Jul 28, 2012 - Craig Lord
Olympic Games, London, Day 1 heats:
So, first morning here we are, Craig Lord and Karin Helmstaedt in the media stands and peering across at a half-empty stand. Tragic: I can't recall how many people involved in swimming who told me they couldn't get tickets, not even for heats - and yet there were rows and rows of missing folk. Behind us, the stand was pretty full, the attendance good - but not the full house that the sales figures suggest.
The first line from the water: Michael Phelps scraped through to the final of the 400m medley in 4:13.33, Laszlo Cseh, the Olympic silver medallist of 2008 locked out, as second man in the heats with the Olympic champion.
The second line: Dana Vollmer rocked the pool with a 56.25 Olympic record in the 100m butterfly to get the women's party started inside the mark that had stood to Inge de Bruijn (NED) at 56.61 since Sydney 2000. The world record from Rome 2009 stands to another qualifier for semis this morning, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) at 56.06. Vollmer raced inside her 56.42 American record from Omaha US trials.
In another morning shocker on day 1, defending champion Park Taehwan (KOR) was disqualified and Paul Biedermann (GER), the world record holder, missed the cut for the final, a 3:48.50 leaving him 12th, the last man in Ryan Cochrane of Canada, on 3:47.26. Sun Yang leads the way in 3:45.07. Astonishing events unfolding.
Park's misdemeanour: a false start. He touched first in his heat, but left the deck stunned as the disqualification flashed on the scoreboard. That robbed the swimming events of one of the most keenly anticipated clashes, with Sun, a man who now stands out all the more as a double-gold prospect, his best, the 1500m, to follow the 400m. He will also be key to China's medal prospects in the 4x200m.
A Jury of Appeal, including the full 22-member ruling Bureau of FINA, the international federation for aquatic sports, will meet this afternoon to consider the case of Park Taehwan, the Korean Olympic champion disqualified for a false start in the 400m freestyle heats at the Games this morning.
Park's entourage lodges an official protest soon after the race this morning but the referee rejected it. The next step in the process is for the Jury of Appeal - the FINA Bureau plus Honorary members, the President, Dr Julio Maglione, or any of the Vice-Presidents, sitting as chairman.
For Park, the events of this morning bring back the nightmare of his Olympic debut: in 2004, he was disqualified in the 400m freestyle for the very same reason.
Race Reports
Men 400m medley
Neither of the top two podium placers from 2008 appear to have learned the lesson of their long careers: if there is an Olympic heat to come after you, better make your effort certain. Phelps, 4:13.33; Cseh, 4:13.40 and gone.
Odd, given that they had both watched Kosuke Hagino (JPN) go 4:10.01 in the third heat ahead of a 4:12.39 for Thiago Pereira (BRA). Was it a rookie mistake? Was it that they had no more (didn't look like it). What is certain is that Phelps will race the final on the wing.
In the last heat, Ryan Lochte eased off at the end and got pipped by Chad Le Clos (RSA), on 4:12.24. Lochte, 4:12.35. Thomas Fraser-Holmes on 4:12.66. Then came Luca Marin (ITA) on 4:13.02 and Yuya Horihata (JPN) on 4:13.09. All of which leaves it looking like this:
(No is the lane for the final)
The clash of titans Part I will be a cross-the-pool affair.
Women 100m butterfly
After Commonwealth champion Alicia Coutts (AUS) took the pace down to 57.36 in the 4th heat ahead of a 58.23 for Britain's Francesca Halsall, world record holder Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) eased in just behind the top pace on 57.45 in the 5th heat ahead of Britain's second qualier for semis, Ellen Gandy, on 58.25.
The favourite for the crown then stamped her authority down on the rest with a thudding 56.25 Olympic record: world champion Dana Vollmer (USA) did not appear to be even breathing too heavily at the end of the 6th heat as she smiled and waved up at the crowd. Nearest to her was second best through, Lu Ying, of China, on 57.17, with Denmark's Jeanette Ottesen on 57.64, Jiao Liuying (CHN) on 57.71 and Claire Donohue (USA) on 58.06. Among those also through was Inge Dekker (NED), on 58.30, the semis closed off in 58.74.
Men 400m Freestyle
In another morning shocker on day 1, defending champion Park Taehwan (KOR) was disqualified and Paul Biedermann (GER), the world record holder, missed the cut for the final, a 3:48.50 leaving him 12th, the last man in Ryan Cochrane of Canada, on 3:47.26. Sun Yang leads the way in 3:45.07. Astonishing events unfolding.
Park touched first in his heat, but left the deck stunned as the disqualification flashed on the scoreboard. He had false started.
After Canada's Ryan Cochrane set the pace at 3:47.26 in the second heat, Gergo Kis (HUN) responded with a 3:46.77 ahead of Ryan Napoleon (AUS), on 3:47.01, and Britain's David Carry, on 3:47.25, in the 3rd heat, in which Park led the way home before the bomb dropped. The 4th heat settled the final, Sun Yang (CHN) on 3:45.07, Peter Vanderkaay (USA) 3:45.80, teammate Connor Dwyer on 3:46.24 and China's second man in, Hao Yun, 16, on 3:46.88.
That left Pal Joensen, of Denmark and the Faroes, on 3:47.36, and Britain's Robbie Renwick, 3:47.44, the first to be locked out.
Men's 100m breaststroke
Heat 4 saw the pace quicken for qualification, Hungarian Daniel Gyurta on 59.76 as one of 12 men to crack the minute in a fabulously tight affair. Close to Gyurta were Cameron Van Der Burgh (RSA), 59.79, and former world champion Brendan Hansen (USA), 59.93, with British teenager Craig Benson and world record holder Brenton Rickard (AUS) on 1:00.04 and 1:00.07 respectively.
Next up, Glenn Snyders (NZL) clocked 59.78, with Scott Dickens (CAN) on a national record of 59.85 ahead of Britain's Michael Jamieson, 59.89, Eric Shanteau (USA), 59.96, and Fabio Scozzoli (ITA), 59.99.
With that tightness in mind, it fell to those in the last heat to leave nothing to chance. Christian Sprenger, of Australia, clocked 59.62, 0.01sec ahead of defending champion Kosuke Kitajima (JPN), 59.63, Giedrius Titenis (LTU) on 59.68 and Ryo Teteishi (JPN) on 59.86.
Women 4x100m freestyle
Australia lead the way in 3:36.34, the United States on 3:36.53 and the defending champions from the Netherlands on 3:37.76. China, 3:37.91, Japan, 3:38.06, Denmark, 3:38.09, and a shared 3:38.21 from Sweden and Britain completed the final, Germany, world record holders in 2006, locked out in 3:39.16.
