China's swimmers leave Australians in their wake
Source: AFP |
August 6, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA is celebrating the most successful Olympic swimming campaign in its history.
Riding on the back of youngsters Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen, China has shouldered aside one-time powers Australia to emerge as the United States' main rival with five gold medals.
China's performances in London underlined the country's giant strides in the sport after winning one gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games to Australia's six.
Sun, 20, brought the Aquatics Centre crowd roaring to their feet as he shattered his own world record in racing away with the 1,500m freestyle, once Australia's domain, on the final night of the competition on Saturday.
Sun, ironically trained in Australia by 1,500m star Grant Hackett's former mentor Denis Cotterell, finished with two gold medals after he earlier became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic swimming title with his 400m freestyle victory.
Sixteen-year-old Ye turned in one of the most spectacular swims of the eight-day meet with an astonishing world record in the 400m medley.
Ye obliterated the 400m medley world record with a sensational last freestyle lap blowing away American world champion Elizabeth Beisel with a final 50m burst faster than American men's world champion Ryan Lochte's victory in the 400m medley a few events before.
Ye went on to claim the medley double as Australia's Stephanie Rice, who won three golds in Beijing, faltered.
While John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches' Association, raised suspicions about the authenticity of Ye's victories, swimming's governing body FINA said there was "no factual basis" for speculation that her Olympic medley double had been fuelled by banned drugs.
FINA said she had been tested four times in the past 12 months, including twice before this year's Chinese Olympic trials.
The Chinese took umbrage at the claims of illegalities and blasted Western media for raising doping suspicions, while Sun was aggrieved at the constant sniping at China's performances.
"People think China has so many gold medals because of doping and other substances, but I can tell you it is because of hard work," he said.
"It is all down to training and hard work that we have results."
Jiao Liuyang went one better than her Beijing silver medal to claim the women's 200m butterfly final for China's fifth gold at the meet.
Riding on the back of youngsters Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen, China has shouldered aside one-time powers Australia to emerge as the United States' main rival with five gold medals.
China's performances in London underlined the country's giant strides in the sport after winning one gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games to Australia's six.
Sun, 20, brought the Aquatics Centre crowd roaring to their feet as he shattered his own world record in racing away with the 1,500m freestyle, once Australia's domain, on the final night of the competition on Saturday.
Sun, ironically trained in Australia by 1,500m star Grant Hackett's former mentor Denis Cotterell, finished with two gold medals after he earlier became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic swimming title with his 400m freestyle victory.
Sixteen-year-old Ye turned in one of the most spectacular swims of the eight-day meet with an astonishing world record in the 400m medley.
Ye obliterated the 400m medley world record with a sensational last freestyle lap blowing away American world champion Elizabeth Beisel with a final 50m burst faster than American men's world champion Ryan Lochte's victory in the 400m medley a few events before.
Ye went on to claim the medley double as Australia's Stephanie Rice, who won three golds in Beijing, faltered.
While John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches' Association, raised suspicions about the authenticity of Ye's victories, swimming's governing body FINA said there was "no factual basis" for speculation that her Olympic medley double had been fuelled by banned drugs.
FINA said she had been tested four times in the past 12 months, including twice before this year's Chinese Olympic trials.
The Chinese took umbrage at the claims of illegalities and blasted Western media for raising doping suspicions, while Sun was aggrieved at the constant sniping at China's performances.
"People think China has so many gold medals because of doping and other substances, but I can tell you it is because of hard work," he said.
"It is all down to training and hard work that we have results."
Jiao Liuyang went one better than her Beijing silver medal to claim the women's 200m butterfly final for China's fifth gold at the meet.
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