Olympics, Swimming: Leisel Jones Claims Top Seed in 100 Breast Finals

By John Lohn

BEIJING, China, August 11. IF there is a gold medal that is a lock on the female side, it's that of Leisel Jones in the 100 breaststroke. The world-record holder and two-time defending world champion will step onto the blocks for the championship final with more than a second cushion over her closest challenger.

Working through her first 50 meters in 31.13, Jones stopped the clock in 1:05.80, another of her routine sub-1:06 performances. Jones is the only individual to break 1:06 and seemingly pulls the feat each time out. In the final, look for Jones to make a run at her world record of 1:05.09, on the books since 2006.

American Rebecca Soni, the replacement in the event for the withdrawn Jessica Hardy, advanced to the championship final in the second position. Soni, who owns a career-best of 1:06-high, turned in a time of 1:07.07, placing ahead of Austrian Mirna Jukic (1:07.27) and Aussie Tarnee White (1:07.48). Surprisingly, Russian Yuliya Efimova went only 1:07.50, nearly 1.5 seconds slower than her prelim effort.

Filling out the field for the final are China's Sun Ye (1:07.72), American Megan Jendrick (1:08.07) and Japan's Asami Kitagawa (1:08.23). Jendrick will be searching for her second individual medal in the event, as she was the gold medalist at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

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