Olympic Day 3 Prelims – Complete

By Phillip Whitten and Michael Collins

SYDNEY, September 18. AMERICAN Tom Malchow set an Olympic record in the men's 200 meter butterfly in the highlight of the prelims on the morning of Day 3 at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Malchow, the world record-holder, clocked 1:56.25 to shave one-hundredth of a second from Mel Stewart's Olympic mark set in Barcelona in 1992.

Women's 200 Free – Prelims

Top 16 advance to semi-finals:
1. O'Neill AUS 1:59.14
2. Muller RSA 1:59.89
3. Poll CRC 2:00.11
4. Benko USA 2:00:13
5. Potec ROM 2:00.18
6. Kielgass GER 2:00.25
7. van Almsick GER 2:00.37
8. Moravcova SVK 2:00.46

9. Tchemezova RUS 2:00.47
10. Baranovskaya BLR 2:00.58
11. Geurts NED 2:00.60
12. Wang CHN 2:00.89
13. Rooney AUS 2:00.99
14. Leach ZIM 2:01.05
15. Owen USA 2:01.10
16. Parise ITA 2:01.31

Australia's Susie O'Neill led all qualifiers in the preliminary rounds of the women's 200 meter freestyle, clocking 1:59.14. The only sub- two-minute performance was turned in by South Africa's Helene Muller, a student at the University of Nebraska, who clocked 1:59.89, after having the fastest splits at the 50, 100 and 150 meter marks.

Defending Olympic champion Claudia Poll, Costa Rica, qualified comfortably in third, while the USA's Lindsay Benko, who swam next to O'Neill, was fourth. Rada Owen, the second US swimmer, advanced to the semis by qualifying fifteenth.

Germany's Franzi Van Almsick, the world record-holder, qualified seventh, just ahead of Martina Moravcova, the silver medalist in the 100 fly last night.

Men's 200 Fly – Prelims

Top 16 advance to semi-finals:
1. Malchow USA 1:56.25 Olympic Record
2. Sylantiev UKR 1:56.42
3. Phelps USA 1:57.30
4. Norris AUS 1:57.60
5. Poliakov RUS 1:57.67
6. Hickman GBR 1:57.88
7. Esposito FRA 1:57.97
8. Parry GBR 1:58.00

9. Pankratov RUS 1:58.01
10. Yamamoto JPN 1:58.07
11. Rupprath GER 1:58.32
12. Ramsay AUS 1:58.82
13. Aartsen NED 1:58.89
14. Tanaka JPN 1:59.00
15. Livingston PUR 1:59.05
16. Fesenko UKR 1:59.41

Americans Tom Malchow and Michael Phelps qualified first and third, respectively, each winning his prelim heat of the 200 fly. Malchow, 24, set an Olympic record (1:56.25) while Malchow, the "baby" of the US team at 15, swam a personal best (1:57.30) and national age group record. Sandwiched between the two Americans is Ukraine's Denis Silantiev.

Former world record holder Denis Pankratov led his heat most of the way near world record pace before fading in the last 20 meters to qualify ninth. The sixteenth qualifier was Ukraine's Sergei Fesenko, son of the 1980 Olympic champion of the same name in the same event.

Women's 200 IM – Prelims

Top 16 advance to semi-finals:

1. Verevka RUS 2:13.48
2. Caslaru ROM 2:13.72
3. Klochkova UKR 2:13.83
4. Malar CAN 2:13.92
5. Teuscher USA 2:14.17
6. Limpert CAN 2:15.07
7. Hagiwara JPN 2:15.16
8. Rose USA 2:15.55

9. Chen CHN 2:16.01
10. Bisca ITA 2:16.09
11. Rolph GBR 2:16.43
12. Gervy BEL 2:16.51
13. Zhan CHN 2:16.63
14. Overton AUS 2:16.76
15. Hetzer GER 2:16.98
16. Klenz GER 2:17.18

Oxana Verevka, 23, was the surprise lead qualifier during prelims of the women's 200 meter individual medley, clocking a Russian record 2:13.48. Three other women swam 2:13s as well: Romania's Beatrice Coada-Caslaru; Ukraine's Yana Klochkova, the 400 IM champion and world record-holder; and Canada's Joanne Malar.

Cristina Teuscher was the top US qualifier in fifth place, while Gabrielle Rose qualified eighth. Japan's Tomoko Hagiwara, who is tied with Klochkova for the world's fastest time this year, was seventh, while Canada's Marianne Limpert was eighth.

In other performances of note: China's Chen Yan, who swam the second fastest time in history in this event three years ago, qualified ninth. Romania's rising star, Diana Mocanu, 16, inexplicably could manage only a 2:29.58, and appeared to be crying during her backstroke leg. Japan's Yasuko Tajima, the silver medalist in the 400 IM (4:35) was only able to swim 2:21.65, and did not advance.

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For more stories and photos visit the CBS OLYMPIC SWIMMING SITE.

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