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Lochte off to a record start
Source: Agencies |
December 16, 2010, Thursday
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RYAN Lochte started his bid for eight gold medals at the short course world championships in Dubai by setting a meet record in the 200-meter freestyle heats yesterday.
The American touched in 1 minute, 42.38 seconds - almost a full second better than the previous record set by retired Australian great Ian Thorpe in 1999.
"Usually my first race of the meet is always the worst, so luckily I had a good one and that just shows that the rest of the meet is going to be pretty good," Lochte said.
There was also a championship record set in the 100 backstroke, with Fabio Scozzoli of Italy clocking 57.60, shaving more than a second off the previous mark set by Igor Borysik of Ukraine two years ago.
Yulia Efimova of Russia led the 50 breaststroke heats, finishing a slim 0.01 ahead of American standout Rebecca Soni; while Olympic champion Liu Zige of China just managed to qualify for the women's 200 butterfly final, taking the eighth and final spot.
Jason Dunford of Kenya led the men's 100 fly heats.
Also, 15-year-old Missy Franklin finished first in the women's 100 back heats, with her American teammate, Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin, qualifying fifth.
"Being in the same race as Natalie was a dream come true," Franklin said. "She's a role model and a real inspiration to me."
Coughlin said he was just aiming for the top 16 to qualify for the semifinals.
"That's all that matters," she said.
In the 200 free, Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia qualified second, a slim 0.03 seconds behind Lochte, and Nikita Lobintsev of Russia placed third, 0.21 back.
"The 200 free isn't really my event but I'm just planning to race these guys as hard as I can and see what happens," said Mellouli, the Olympic and world champion in the marathon-like 1,500 free.
Paul Biedermann, the German who holds the world record of 1:39.27 set last year, was fourth, 0.35 behind Lochte. Biedermann upset Michael Phelps in this event at last year's long-course worlds in Rome.
Phelps is skipping this meet.
Yannick Agnel, the French teenager who beat Biedermann in the 400 free at this year's European championships, failed to qualify in 10th; and Markus Rogan, the Austrian who is planning to challenge Lochte in the individual medleys, also didn't make the final in 13th.
"I knew it was a tough heat, so I knew I had to go out there fast and hold on," Lochte said. "Tonight's going to be a good race."
In the opening evening session, Lochte will swim the 200 free final plus the 400 free relay.
The American touched in 1 minute, 42.38 seconds - almost a full second better than the previous record set by retired Australian great Ian Thorpe in 1999.
"Usually my first race of the meet is always the worst, so luckily I had a good one and that just shows that the rest of the meet is going to be pretty good," Lochte said.
There was also a championship record set in the 100 backstroke, with Fabio Scozzoli of Italy clocking 57.60, shaving more than a second off the previous mark set by Igor Borysik of Ukraine two years ago.
Yulia Efimova of Russia led the 50 breaststroke heats, finishing a slim 0.01 ahead of American standout Rebecca Soni; while Olympic champion Liu Zige of China just managed to qualify for the women's 200 butterfly final, taking the eighth and final spot.
Jason Dunford of Kenya led the men's 100 fly heats.
Also, 15-year-old Missy Franklin finished first in the women's 100 back heats, with her American teammate, Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin, qualifying fifth.
"Being in the same race as Natalie was a dream come true," Franklin said. "She's a role model and a real inspiration to me."
Coughlin said he was just aiming for the top 16 to qualify for the semifinals.
"That's all that matters," she said.
In the 200 free, Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia qualified second, a slim 0.03 seconds behind Lochte, and Nikita Lobintsev of Russia placed third, 0.21 back.
"The 200 free isn't really my event but I'm just planning to race these guys as hard as I can and see what happens," said Mellouli, the Olympic and world champion in the marathon-like 1,500 free.
Paul Biedermann, the German who holds the world record of 1:39.27 set last year, was fourth, 0.35 behind Lochte. Biedermann upset Michael Phelps in this event at last year's long-course worlds in Rome.
Phelps is skipping this meet.
Yannick Agnel, the French teenager who beat Biedermann in the 400 free at this year's European championships, failed to qualify in 10th; and Markus Rogan, the Austrian who is planning to challenge Lochte in the individual medleys, also didn't make the final in 13th.
"I knew it was a tough heat, so I knew I had to go out there fast and hold on," Lochte said. "Tonight's going to be a good race."
In the opening evening session, Lochte will swim the 200 free final plus the 400 free relay.
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