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Thursday, September 21
Bennett, Thompson to chase history
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- Brooke Bennett followed a magnificent
American night in the Olympic pool by getting started on a second
straight gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle.
|  | | Brooke Bennett looks to follow in Janet Evans' footsteps. |
Bennett, 20, of Plant City, Fla., was top qualifier in the
preliminaries Thursday (Wednesday night ET), finishing in 8
minutes, 26.47 seconds.
She already won the 400 freestyle at these games and in the 800
final Friday night will try to join Janet Evans (1988, '92) as the
only back-to-back winners of the most grueling event in women's
swimming.
"I would have been happy with 8:28 and I was two seconds
faster," Bennett said. "With my speed in the 400 and my endurance
in the 800, I can swim really well tomorrow night."
Kaitlin Sandeno, 17, of Lake Forest, Calif., is a medal
contender after placing third in the prelims at 8:30.12. Yana
Klochkova of Ukraine, already a double gold medalist at these
games, took second with 8:29.84.
Gary Hall Jr. of Phoenix qualified second in the preliminaries
of the 50 freestyle, just 14 hours after winning bronze in the 100
free.
Hall's medal was part of a dominating performance by the
Americans, who also got golds from Misty Hyman in the 200 butterfly
and the women's 800 freestyle relay team.
Hall, 25, touched the wall in 22.14 to finish behind training
partner Bartosz Kizierowski of Poland in the 50 prelims.
"I hope the 100 didn't take too much out of me," Hall said.
"I had a lot of fun out there."
Another American, 19-year-old Anthony Ervin of Valencia, Calif.,
was fourth-fastest at 22.24. He is the first swimmer of black
heritage to make the U.S. swim team.
"It was all right," Ervin said. "I didn't get too much sleep
last night. I was a little concerned. My goal was just to make it
back."
He did, along with 15 other swimmers advancing to the evening
semifinals. The eight-man final is Friday.
The Australians, trying to rebound from a disappointing night,
went 1-2 in prelims of the 100 butterfly. World record-holder
Michael Klim led at 52.73, followed by Geoff Huegill's 52.79.
"I wanted to get the cobwebs out from last night," said Klim,
who missed a medal in the 100 freestyle by one-hundredth of a
second. "This is a very important one for me."
Ian Crocker, 18, of Portland, Maine, was the top American. He
made the turn under world-record pace but faded to ninth, 53.45.
Tommy Hannan of Baltimore also advanced to the semifinals with the
11th-fastest time, 53.54.
"I got a little too excited," Crocker said. "I powered a
little too much. I've been ready to go all week."
Kizierowski, who went to the University of California and now
trains with Hall's Phoenix-based team of elite sprinters, was top
qualifier in the 50 at 22.05, well off Alexander Popov's world
record of 21.64 set in June.
"I'd like to see a world record," Hall said. "Everybody is
really tired. It's a long meet. ... But there's plenty of people
who are capable of getting it."
Kizierowski said he doesn't plan to wear a high-tech bodysuit in
the semis.
"It didn't really help me," he said. "I'll definitely shave
down."
Popov was the No. 3 qualifier at 22.14, beginning his quest for
a third straight Olympic victory in the 50.
The "Russian Rocket," who trains in Australia, took silver in
the 100 on Wednesday, spoiling his bid for a third straight gold
medal in that race.
"I feel a bit sleepy," Popov said. "It was hard to sleep
after doping control (for the 100) because I drank too much."
Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands, the first man
since Mark Spitz to win the 100 and 200 freestyles at the same
Olympics, was fifth-fastest at 22.32.
Diana Mocanu of Romania, who already won gold in the women's 100
backstroke, led the 200 backstroke prelims at 2:09.21.
Lindsay Benko of Elkhart, Ind., was sixth in 2:12.72, while
Amanda Adkins of Gahanna, Ohio, placed ninth, 2:13.54. Benko was
coming back after swimming on the 800 freestyle relay team that won
gold.
"It was pretty hard getting back to bed and trying to fall
asleep," she said.
The evening program included the men's 200 back, where American
Lenny Krayzelburg is a heavy favorite to win his second gold medal
of the games. Another U.S. swimmer, Aaron Peirsol, is his top
challenger.
Also, Jenny Thompson of Dover, N.H., will have her final chance
to win an individual gold in the 100 freestyle. She has won seven
golds -- all in relays -- the most for any female swimmer.
Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands was top qualifier in the 100
with a world-record time. She already has one gold medal in Sydney.
Other finals were in the women's 200 breaststroke and men's 200
individual medley, where American Tom Dolan goes for his second
gold.
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