Olympic Preview: Men’s 1500 Freestyle

By John Lohn

CRANBURY, New Jersey, January 29. ONE week after taking a look at the women's 800 freestyle, SwimmingWorldMagazine.com's Olympic preview series stretches out to the men's 1500 freestyle, where history could be made in Beijing. If Australian Grant Hackett can secure gold, he'll become the first man in history to win three consecutive Olympic titles in a single event.

Hackett, however, is not the only man chasing a three-peat, as the possibility of a trifecta also exists in the 50 and 100 freestyle events. American Gary Hall Jr. is looking for three in a row in the one-lap sprint while the Netherlands' Pieter van den Hoogenband will try to capture his third straight gold medal in the 100 free.

Historical Perspective

Defending Champion: Grant Hackett (Australia) – 14:43.40.
World-Record Holder: Grant Hackett (Australia) – 14:34.56.
Most Titles: Australia (eight) – Andrew Charlton (1924); Murray Rose (1956); John Konrads (1960); Robert Windle (1964); Kieren Perkins (1992/1996); Grant Hackett (2000/2004).
Notable: When Mike Burton won gold in the 1500 free at the 1968 Games in Mexico City, he turned in a time of 16:38.9. Four years later, he repeated as Olympic champ with a significantly faster mark. Burton, en route to gold in Munich, touched the wall in 15:52.58.

Here's a look at the top contenders in the 1500 free, the 30-lap test of endurance:

Grant Hackett:
As the two-time defending champion, Hackett is on the verge of a historic feat, although it will not be easy. While Hackett is the world-record holder and in a world of his own when in prime form, he hasn't had a smooth run since winning the 400, 800 and 1500 free titles at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal.

Hackett has endured some shoulder difficulties, along with some illness, and also decided on a coaching change from longtime mentor Denis Cotterell. He was off form at the World Champs in Melbourne last year, finishing seventh in his pet event, but he turned in a strong outing at the Japan International Swim Meet during the summer, clocking in at 14:48.70.

Expect Hackett to be on the podium in Beijing and if the medal hanging from his neck is of the golden variety, it wouldn't be surprising. The man has been gearing up for this three-peat chase and Hackett will not bring anything less than his A-Game to the table.

Erik Vendt:
In last year's world rankings, the two-time Olympian was slotted seventh, thanks to a best time of 14:57.01. But, there might not be a hotter commodity on the distance scene these days than Vendt. At the recent Long Beach Grand Prix, a short course yard event, the Club Wolverine standout set an American record in the 1000 free and just missed a national record in the 1650 free.

Vendt was eighth at last year's World Champs, but he has since had eight additional months of training, sure to pay off for a man who temporarily retired from the sport after the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Vendt is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 400 individual medley and a medal in the 1500 free could also be in the cards.

Larsen Jensen:
At the Athens Games, the American-record holder gave Grant Hackett all he could handle before taking the silver medal. Jensen adheres to a grueling workload and focuses on only the big events. Well, none is bigger than the Olympics and Jensen assuredly will be a factor in Beijing.

At last year's World Championships, Jensen just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in 14:52.98. Two years earlier, Jensen was the silver medalist in the 800 and 1500 freestyles at the World Champs in Montreal. At the United States Trials in Omaha, look for Jensen to also make a run at a berth in the 400 freestyle.

Mateusz Sawrymowicz:
From Poland, Sawrymowicz had a major breakthrough last year, winning gold at the World Championships with a time (14:45.94) that held up as the fastest of 2007. By securing that 1.35-second victory over Russia's Yuri Prilukov, Sawrymowicz immediately established himself as a gold-medal challenger in Beijing, and earned Swimming World's European Swimmer of the Year accolades.

Yuri Prilukov:
The Russian has been a consistent factor on the international distance scene and reaffirmed that status by taking the silver medal at the World Champs in Melbourne. There, Prilukov was timed in 14:47.29, an effort that held as the second-fastest time of the year. Another performance under 14:50 will put a medal well within reach.

David Davies:
The British star was the bronze medalist at the Athens Games and repeated that performance last year at the World Championships, thanks to a time of 14:51.21. Davies is an obvious force on the international stage and owns results that warrant inclusion on the list of medal favorites. To grab a piece of hardware, Davies will likely need to approach, perhaps surpass, his career best of 14:45.95.

Tae Hwan Park:
The young Korean sensation is best known for his talent in the 200 and 400 freestyle events, but if he goes the route of the 1500, there's reason to believe he can chase a spot on the medal podium. Park ranked eighth in the world last year, managing a best time of 14:58.43. Certainly, he'll have to take time off that effort to be a contender.

The Others:
Italian Federico Colbertaldo had the best time of 2007 among the remaining challengers expected in China. He went 14:56.22 at the World Champs for a fifth-place finish. Another athlete in that final was Aussie Craig Stevens, who placed sixth in 14:59.11. Stevens was 10th in the world in 2007, behind Canada's Ryan Cochrane and China's Zhang Lin, who went 14:59.02.

Another competitor to keep an eye on at the U.S. Trials is up-and-comer Chad LaTourette, 11th in the world in 2007 in 15:00.26. Poland's Przemyslaw Stanczyk and France's Sebastien Rouault should also be followed.

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