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--- Lane 9 News ---
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Olympics, Swimming: Alexander Dale Oen Lowers Olympic, European Records in 100 Breast -- August 9, 2008
By John Lohn
BEIJING, China, August 10. AFTER two rounds of competition in the men's 100 breaststroke, the favorite is not defending champion Kosuke Kitajima. And, it's not world-record holder Brendan Hansen. Surprisingly, the top qualifier heading into the championship final is Norway's Alexander Dale Oen, the European titlist.
Having set the Olympic record in the prelims, Oen went faster in the semifinals, his mark of 59.16 just missing Hansen's global standard of 59.13. Oen made his presence known earlier this year at the European Champs and is now expanding his profile in a big way. He split 28.03 for the first lap and came home in 31.13, the fastest back end of the semifinals.
Kitajima, trying to make it back-to-back crowns, won his semifinal heat in 59.55, holding off the 59.65 effort by No. 3 seed Brenton Rickard of Australia. France's Hugues Duboscq was fourth in 59.83 and will try to add to the bronze medal he won in Athens. Hansen, meanwhile, was fifth in 59.83. That time was a big improvement over his prelim swim of 1:00.36.
"Everything is going as planned," Hansen said. "I'm not going to show what I can do until tomorrow. Everyone is swimming scared. They're all wondering why (is Hansen) swimming out in Lane 7. I had a dream and called my brother Sean to tell him that I won the gold medal from Lane 2. That's where I'll be in the final. I won my first world championship in that lane. I'm comfortable in that position."
Also reaching the final were Russian Roman Sludnov (1:00.10), American Mark Gangloff (1:00.44) and the Ukraine's Igor Borysik (1:00.55). Sludnov was the first man in history to break the minute barrier.
Results: 2008 Olympic Games - Swimming
Premium Members - Search More About: Alexander Dale Oen
Reaction Time Comments
August 9, 2008 Kitajima got away with it again... he started his kick big time before his pullout. Saw it when they showed the underwater cam at both ends. Submitted by: atm4three
August 9, 2008 Ok I'm sure you can do that. you can either do a fly kick before your pullout or during your pullout. that is how it is in college swimming. I dont know how FINA does it but i think it would be the same. Hansen looks like crap in the water, i hope he can get his feel back by finals. Submitted by: WUswimmer
August 9, 2008 USA Swimming and FINA's rules are the same; you can't perform the kick until after you have begun your pull. Hopefully Hansen will get his mojo back for finals. Submitted by: atm4three
August 9, 2008 i agree with WUswimmer that it is probably legal to do this. kitajima has been doing this the past few years, and so has many international swimmers.
hansen looks sluggish in the water. and his second half seems very weak. i don't care if he is deliberately holding back, but to have all that trash talk about "everything is going as planned" and "everyone is swimming scared" is just plain annoying. no need for such behaviour. everyone sees through that.
i think the gold is between dale oen and kitajima. dale obviously has proven himself. but kitajima actually had a poor turn and finish for his time of 59.55. so he might go a low 59 if he times it right in the finals. Submitted by: tornado
August 9, 2008 o ok so i guess my friend at nationals had to change it. Once again kitajima has found a way around the rules. straight ridiculous Submitted by: WUswimmer
August 9, 2008 On FINA's website
Breaststroke (Rule 7)…
SW 7.4 During each complete cycle, some part of the swimmer's head shall break the surface of the water. After the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs. The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke. A single downward dolphin kick followed by a breaststroke kick is permitted while wholly submerged. Following which, all movements of the legs shall be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane without alternating movement.
Interpretation: A dolphin kick is not part of the cycle and is only permitted at the start and turn whilst the arms are pulling back to the legs or after the arm pull whilst wholly submerged followed by a breaststroke kick.
Well he is cheating, nice. Submitted by: WUswimmer
August 10, 2008 I doubt Hansen would suddenly change his persona, unless he's desperate. I think he was scared of shooting his wad in prelims and semis like he did at the last Olympics and at Trials, and how saw how building gradually worked for Peirsol, so maybe he's trying that tactic. Though he does look choppy instead of smooth... Submitted by: liquidassets
August 10, 2008 That rule does not say the pull has to come before the dolphin kick just that the dolphin needs to come before the breaststroke kick. Rowdy commented on replays of both his turns and said they were legal, plus after the 2004 controversy the officials are watching him closely. Submitted by: fatdrew
August 10, 2008 The story here is how average Hansen looks. Of course Kitajima is going to cheat. But Hansen looks like he has a real chance of finishing 6th tonight. Submitted by: PhatMatt
Reaction Time responses do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Swimming World Magazine or SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.
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