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--- Lane 9 News ---
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Olympics, Swimming: Flash Federica Pellegrini Breaks 1:55, Lowers 200 Free World Record -- August 12, 2008
By John Lohn
BEIJING, China, August 13. A few days after producing a poor showing in the final of the 400 freestyle, Italy's Federica Pellegrini came through in the clutch. The Italian scorched her four laps of the 200 freestyle in 1:54.82, breaking her world record of 1:55.45 from the preliminary. And Pellegrini needed every bit of that quickness.
Three women broke Pellegrini's former standard, but it was the Italian who chopped the most time off the standard. She was second at the 50-meter mark, then took a lead she would not relinquish. Grabbing the silver medal, Slovenia's Sara Isakovic became the second woman in history to break 1:55, turning in a time of 1:54.97.
"What came into my mind when I won, I was saying, `Finally. Finally.' I have been expecting to win the last four years."
China's Pang Jiaying pressed the pace from the start, leading after the first lap, and overtook American Katie Hoff over the final 50 meters to pick up the bronze medal. Pang was timed in 1:55.05 with Hoff next in 1:55.78, good for an American record. It was the first of two finals for Hoff, who later had work in the 200 individual medley.
The defending champion from Athens, where the 200 breast was probably the weakest event on the female program, Romania's Camelia Potec took fifth in 1:56.87. Finishing sixth was Great Britain's Caitlin McClatchey in 1:57.65. Tying for seventh were Australian Bronte Barratt and France's Ophelie-Cyrielle Etienne in 1:57.83. All eight times were faster than the winning mark from Athens.
Results: 2008 Olympic Games - Swimming
Premium Members - Search More About: Federica Pellegrini
Reaction Time Comments
August 12, 2008 Last olympics it took at 1:58.02 to win and now its 1:54.8 thats just ridiculous. I think that is the biggest jump in a 200 event at these olympics for men and women, possibly the men's 200 IM could change that when phelps swims but on the women's side i think its the biggest drop. It takes over a 3 sec drop to just win gold at the next olympics is insane. Submitted by: WUswimmer
August 13, 2008 An AR nothing to be ashamed of for Hoff in such a ridiculously close race. This may be politically incorrect as everyone from the president down is kissing China's butt this week, but it's the truth: I came out of the bathroom while Pang was stepping up on the blocks and I thought it was a men's event; I went over to check my schedule because I was confused. I vaguely remember her from Athens, where she took 7th, but since then she's been relatively "under wraps" per the Chinese swimming pattern. Normally that alone wouldn't evoke suspicion, but she came down from a 1:58.3 prior to this meet to a 1:55.0 Am I the only tongue wagging here?? Does anyone remember if she looked like that in Athens? Submitted by: liquidassets
August 13, 2008 The 1:58.02 from 2004 was very, very slow though - the winning time from 1992 was 1:57.90, so it's a three second drop over the course of 16 years which isn't as dramatic.
As for Pang, she hasn't been "under wraps", she swam in Athens as well as both the 2005 and 2007 world champs, so every major international competition that mattered since 2004. Her progression isn't that shocking either:
2004 - 1:58.06
2005 - 1:57.95
2006 - 1:58.95
2007 - 1:58.34
Isakovic has come out of nowhere more than Pang, and I don't agree that Pang is overly muscled - her pipes have nothing on Libby Trickett.
Submitted by: FatDrew
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Photo By: Reuters
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