By John Lohn
BEIJING, China, August 13. IF China is going to capture a gold medal in swimming action, the women's 200 butterfly might be where it happens. Heading into the championship final of the event, the Chinese occupy the first and third positions, with the pre-meet favorite holding down the second position.
Liu Zige, who had the top time of the preliminary round, again topped the field in the semifinals, producing a time of 2:06.25 for an Asian record. Meanwhile, her teammate Jiao Liuyang was third-fastest during the morning session behind a time of 2:06.42. In the middle sits reigning world champ and world-record holder Jessicah Schipper. The Australian was timed in 2:06.34.
Schipper is probably still the favorite for the gold medal. The bronze medalist in the 100 butterfly earlier in the meet, she knows how to answer under pressure and that scenario could prove beneficial with a podium spot on the line. Schipper holds the world record of 2:05.40 and the Chinese women will likely have a tough time pushing that mark.
Poland's Otylia Jedrzejczak, the defending Olympic champion, can't be counted out of the medal picture. Jedrzejczak posted the fourth-fastest time of the semifinals, going 2:06.78. Also dipping under 2:07 were Japan's Yuko Nakanishi and American Kathleen Hersey, who tied in 2:06.96. The field for the final will also include France's Aurore Mongel (2:07.21) and the United States' Elaine Breeden (2:07.73).
Results: 2008 Olympic Games - Swimming
Premium Members - Search More About: Liu Zige
Reaction Time Comments
August 13, 2008 Where did those Chinese come from ? Dees anyone remember them? Submitted by: liquidassets
August 13, 2008 Jiao Liuyang has been around for some while. she was also 4th in the world champs last year. The Chinese has been swimming surprisingly well here, but so has the rest of the world. This being home turf for the chinese, it isn't that much of a shock that they are stepping it up.
I think it is unfair that chinese athletes still continue to be stigmatised. Don't forget that USA has their own cheats too. And for that matter, who is Kathleen Hersey and Elaine Breeden?? Where did those Americans come from? Does anyone remember them? Submitted by: tornado
August 13, 2008 I did not mean to point fingers at any swimmer because I don't actually think (or suspect) that Hoff, or the Chinese are on drugs. I am only making a point. Notice how riled up everyone gets when I merely suggested that an American swimmer is cheating.
Similarly liquidassets, when you come up with needless comments about the Chinese, it upsets people from other parts of the world. I am not from china, but as an asian, I am familiar with some of the progress of the chinese swimmers. Even champions like Libby Trickett has been reduced to tears because of idiots who talk rubbish about their physiques.
So perhaps before you think about saying something in the future, think how it impacts others and how it reflects on you. Submitted by: Tornado
August 14, 2008 I didn't think or suspect anyone of cheating yet, I'm just asking questions at this point, like Gary Hall did. But I'm told this is not the forum for that since it's not a public forum and my reputation is not at stake like Babashoff/Hall, etc. so I'll cease and desist from speculating about individual swimmers as this is deemed unfair.
There is a fine line between not asking enough questions and asking too many, I guess, and if I crossed it, sorry. As for what my questions reflect about me, it would be that I'm a long-time fan concerned about the sport, who is weary and wary because of East German doping in the 70's and 80's and Chinese doping in the 90's. The US has had it's problems too and like China we'll always be an easy target because we're so big and successful; but even then, we never quite had the volume and concentration of doping like those countries in the sport of swimming. And I hope we don't. But even if this is not the forum for questions, it needs to be done somewhere about athletes from all countries; or we'll end up like US baseball where fans became numb and complacent to all the accusations and we ended up with the hollow victory of Barry Bonds and the meaningless records of McGuire, Sosa, etc. Submitted by: liquidassets
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