Park reinstated, Li falls at first hurdle
Source: Agencies |
July 29, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Defending champion Park Tae-hwan was reinstated for the 400-meter freestyle event on the opening day of the Olympic swimming competition after South Korea appealed his disqualification.
FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said that the swimming governing body issued its ruling after reviewing video footage of what had been deemed a false start. "I can confirm that Park has been reinstated for the 400 freestyle," Marculescu said.
Park's time yesterday was 3 minutes, 46.68 seconds, which qualified him in fourth position. He knocked out Ryan Cochrane of Canada, who had taken the final qualifying position in eighth.
South Korea's protest went first to FINA's technical swimming committee, which upheld the disqualification. South Korea then took it to a jury of appeal, which ruled in Park's favor. Park was first to touch the wall in his heat and appeared bewildered when told of the disqualification. "I don't know why," Park said. "I need to speak to my coach to find out."
Marculescu could not explain why the judge on the pool deck called for a disqualification. "It's a very good question," Marculescu said. "Human error maybe."
Park's disqualification helped China's Sun Yang top the qualifiers into the final with a best time of three minutes 45.07 seconds. There was also disappointment for German world record holder Paul Biedermann, who also missed out on the final with his 12th-fastest time of 3:48.50.
Michael Phelps was just inches away from making a shock early exit. Phelps got his hand on the wall in the nick of time to scrape into the final of the men's 400 meters individual medley, an event he easily won at the past two Olympics.
In a major upset, China's Li Na crashed out in the first round as the world No. 11 was beaten 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 by Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova at Wimbledon yesterday. Li had been China's best hope of taking a medal in the singles.
Also, defending champion China was eclipsed by host Great Britain as it suffered a poor first day in the men's team gymnastics competition. Two Chinese men slipped off the pommel horse and one of them fell on his face in the floor routine as China, so dominant in Beijing, finished with 269.985 points to Britain's 272.420, which has not qualified for final since 1924.
Elsewhere, South Korean sharpshooter Jin Jong-oh won Olympic men's 10m air pistol gold. Italy's Luca Tesconi took silver while Serbia's Andrija Zlatic won bronze.
FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said that the swimming governing body issued its ruling after reviewing video footage of what had been deemed a false start. "I can confirm that Park has been reinstated for the 400 freestyle," Marculescu said.
Park's time yesterday was 3 minutes, 46.68 seconds, which qualified him in fourth position. He knocked out Ryan Cochrane of Canada, who had taken the final qualifying position in eighth.
South Korea's protest went first to FINA's technical swimming committee, which upheld the disqualification. South Korea then took it to a jury of appeal, which ruled in Park's favor. Park was first to touch the wall in his heat and appeared bewildered when told of the disqualification. "I don't know why," Park said. "I need to speak to my coach to find out."
Marculescu could not explain why the judge on the pool deck called for a disqualification. "It's a very good question," Marculescu said. "Human error maybe."
Park's disqualification helped China's Sun Yang top the qualifiers into the final with a best time of three minutes 45.07 seconds. There was also disappointment for German world record holder Paul Biedermann, who also missed out on the final with his 12th-fastest time of 3:48.50.
Michael Phelps was just inches away from making a shock early exit. Phelps got his hand on the wall in the nick of time to scrape into the final of the men's 400 meters individual medley, an event he easily won at the past two Olympics.
In a major upset, China's Li Na crashed out in the first round as the world No. 11 was beaten 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 by Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova at Wimbledon yesterday. Li had been China's best hope of taking a medal in the singles.
Also, defending champion China was eclipsed by host Great Britain as it suffered a poor first day in the men's team gymnastics competition. Two Chinese men slipped off the pommel horse and one of them fell on his face in the floor routine as China, so dominant in Beijing, finished with 269.985 points to Britain's 272.420, which has not qualified for final since 1924.
Elsewhere, South Korean sharpshooter Jin Jong-oh won Olympic men's 10m air pistol gold. Italy's Luca Tesconi took silver while Serbia's Andrija Zlatic won bronze.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
