Sun-Park rivalry to test 400m record
Source: AFP |
July 28, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SUN Yang is geared to lower the world record in his Olympic duel with Asian rival Park Tae-hwan in the 400m freestyle at the London Games, his Australian coach Denis Cotterell said. The Asian duo are the two top-ranked swimmers heading into today's showdown as Sun bids to become the first Chinese Olympic men's champion swimmer, while Park defends his crown.
Park, a two-time 400m world champion, also has taken the Australian route to London, working out under Michael Bohl in Brisbane, and has never been beaten by Sun in international competition.
"(Park) is my idol, but I'm not scared at all of him. I'm better than before. Both my coach and I feel I'm stronger," Sun said.
Cotterell, the former mentor to retired Olympic great Grant Hackett, divides his time on Australia's Gold Coast between coaching Sun and the Australian squad, and believes today's 400m race will be a classic. "The 400m is one of the highlights of the Olympic Games. It's a classic race with two super competitors," Cotterell said. "We know the result that we need, we have a plan and it's up to him to execute the plan."
Cotterell said Sun, at 20 is two years younger than Park, is capable of beating German Paul Biedermann's 3:40.07 world record. "Our training has prepared him to do that but, at the Olympic Games, the primary thing is to win, the time is secondary," he said.
Sun's top-ranked time of 3:42.31 is almost two seconds faster than Park's best this year.
Park, whose best time is 3:41.53, says he is more concerned about breaking the world record. "This isn't about a competition with Sun," Park said. "What I think is more important is to win the record battle with myself."
Park, a two-time 400m world champion, also has taken the Australian route to London, working out under Michael Bohl in Brisbane, and has never been beaten by Sun in international competition.
"(Park) is my idol, but I'm not scared at all of him. I'm better than before. Both my coach and I feel I'm stronger," Sun said.
Cotterell, the former mentor to retired Olympic great Grant Hackett, divides his time on Australia's Gold Coast between coaching Sun and the Australian squad, and believes today's 400m race will be a classic. "The 400m is one of the highlights of the Olympic Games. It's a classic race with two super competitors," Cotterell said. "We know the result that we need, we have a plan and it's up to him to execute the plan."
Cotterell said Sun, at 20 is two years younger than Park, is capable of beating German Paul Biedermann's 3:40.07 world record. "Our training has prepared him to do that but, at the Olympic Games, the primary thing is to win, the time is secondary," he said.
Sun's top-ranked time of 3:42.31 is almost two seconds faster than Park's best this year.
Park, whose best time is 3:41.53, says he is more concerned about breaking the world record. "This isn't about a competition with Sun," Park said. "What I think is more important is to win the record battle with myself."
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