Aussie Van Der Zant Wins 100 Free at East Asian Games

By Ian Hanson

OSAKA, Japan. May 23. AUSTRALIAN team co-captain Robbie Van Der Zant tonight won Australia’s first individual event at the 3rd East Asian Games in Osaka when he came from behind to defeat teammate Stephen Goudie in a thrilling 100m freestyle final at the Osaka Pool.

Van Der Zant finished ahead of Goudie, the fastest qualifier, to clock a time of 50.58 with Goudie second in 50.84.

It capped a great start to the Games for the 25-year-old veteran, who made his debut for Australia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. He will now line up for Australia in his specialty, the 200m individual medley, and the Australian 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays.

Van Der Zant, coached by his brother Ric at Yeronga Park in Brisbane, has now put his hand up for inclusion in the Australian team for this year’s Goodwill Games in Brisbane. His performance last night to clock a personal best time of 1:50.75 to lead the Australian 4x200m freestyle relay to victory will certainly help his cause.

"After missing the World Championship team I came here determined to swim fast and that relay last night was a great thrill. To back up and win 100m freestyle is a real bonus, it’s been a lot of fun" said Van Der Zant.

"Believe it or not, that’s the first 100m race I think I’ve ever won. There has always been someone in Queensland who beat me as an age grouper.

"But this year I said to Ric, let’s swim freestyle for something different. I’ve made just about every Australian final in medley and the form strokes so to swim freestyle and win here is great."

Another outstanding performance on night three came from Gold Coaster Leigh McBean, who won his third Commemorative Plate of the meet, after finishing second in a personal best time and the fifth fastest time ever by an Australian in the 200m backstroke.

McBean, a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay last night, clocked 2:00.87 in the 200 back, leapfrogging over two-time Olympian Toby Haenan in the Australian rankings. China's Yu Rui won the event in 2:00.62.

On night two, the lanky Denis Cotterell-coached 19-year-old finished second in the 200m freestyle, also in a personal best time.

He still has the 100m backstroke and the 4x100m freestyle relay events to swim, and depending on the result of the 100m backstroke, maybe even the 4xs100m medley relay.

Andrew Burns finished fifth in the same event, clocking a time of 2:05.80.

In the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, Australia’s team of Melinda Geraghty (57.53), Jessica Abbott (57.42), Jordana Webb (57.47) and Kate Krywulycz (57.87) finished third behind China and Japan.

The Australians clocked 3:50.29, with China winning in 3:43.07 from Japan, 3:44.63.

In other events tonight, Australian pair Tammie Smith (4:15.75) and Kate Krywulycz (4:15.94) both clocked personal best times to finish fourth and fifth respectively in the 400m freestyle. Japan's Sachiko Yamada was the winner in a strong 4:10.61, just ahead of China's Chen Hua at 4:11.0.

Japan's short course world record-holder, Mai Nakamura, won the women's 100m back in 1:01.69, just ahead of teammate Hanae Ito, at 1:01.90. Australia's
Sophie Edington (1:03.88) and Frances Adcock (1:04.06pr) finished fourth and sixth respectively.

China's Qi Hui, 16, who set a world record in the 200m breaststroke at the Chinese Nationals last month, led a one-two Chinese sweep in that event. Qi clocked a strong 2:25.33, almost three seconds ahead of Luo Xuejuan, another 16 year-old, at 2:28.15. Japan's Junko Isoda was third in 2:30.64.

3rd EAST ASIAN GAMES, Osaka (May, 21-26, 2001)
SWIMMING RESULTS (After Day Three):

MEN

100m freestyle *** new** *
1. Rob Van Der Zant AUS 50.58 (24.78)
2. Stephen Goudie AUS 50.84 (24.21)
1. Yoshihiro Okumura JPN 51.00
2. Shunsuke Ito JPN 51.53
3. Andrey Kvassov KAZ 51.60

200m freestyle
1. Liu Yu CHN 1:51.71
2. Leigh McBean AUS 1:51.23pr
(26:07;54.64;1:23.61)
2. Daisuke Hosokawa JPN 1:52.23
3. Andrey Kvassov KAZ 1:54.13
4. Nic Williams AUS 1:52.40
(26.63;55.50;1:24.26)

200m backstroke *** new** *
1. Yu Rui CHN 2:00.62
2. Leigh McBean AUS 2:00.87
(28.44;58.90;1:29.94)
2. Kozan Hashimoto JPN 2:01.67
3. Zheng Shibin CHN 2:03.29
6. Andrew Burns AUS 2:05.80
(29.12;1:00.61;1:33.23)

100M Butterfly
1. Takashi Yamamoto JPN 53.12
2. Burl Reid AUS 53.25pr (24.50)
2. Kunpeng Ouyang CHN 53.68
3. Yoshihiro Okumura JPN 55.21
4. Shane Fielding AUS 54.29 (25.47)

100m breaststroke
1. Kosuke Kitajima JPN 1:02.00
2. Jim Piper AUS 1:02.15pr (29.98pr)
2. Zhu Yi CHN 1:03.22
3. Rosuke Imai JPN 1:03.25
6. Jarrad Church AUS 1:04.39

Men’s 400m individual medley
1. Susumu Tabuchi JPN 4:18.88
2. Trent Steed AUS 4:22.07
(58:86;2:05.43;3:24.54)
2. Jiro Miki JPN 4:22.08
3. Xie Xufeng CHN 4:22.52
5. Jim Piper AUS 4:28.20
(1:01.66;2:13.53;3:24.54)

Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay
1. AUSTRALIA 7:24.10
Rob Van Der Zant 1:50.75pr
Stephen Penfold 1:50.70
Leigh McBean 1:50.38
Nic Williams 1:52.27
1. JAPAN 7:24.50
2. CHINA 7:32.85
3. KOREA 7:34.11

WOMEN
100m freestyle
1. Xu Yanwei CHN 55.02
2. Sumika Minamoto JPN 56.28
3. Tomoko Nagai JPN 56.68
6. Melinda Geraghty AUS 57.52 (27.58)
8. Jordana Webb AUS 57.99 (27.70)

200m freestyle
1. Yang Yu CHN 1:59.93 (GR)
2. Maki Mita JPN 2:00.87
3. Kate Krywulycz AUS 2:01.99
(28:65; 59.45;1.30.84)
3. Eri Yamanoi JPN 2:04.30
4.Tammie Smith AUS 2:03.12pr
(29.21;1:00.17;1:31.58)

400m freestyle *** new ***
1. Sachiko Yamada JPN 4:10.61
2. Chen Hua CHN 4:11.00
3. Zhang Yan CHN 4:14.04
4. Tammie Smith AUS 4:15.75
(1:01.70;2:06.43;3:11.46)
5. Kate Krywulycz AUS 4:15.94
(1:01.56;2:06.71;3:12.02)

100m backstroke *** new** *
1. Mai Nakamura JPN 1:01.69
2. Hanae Ito JPN 1:01.90
3. Zhan Shu CHN 1:02.89
4. Sophie Edington AUS 1:03.88
6. Frances Adcock AUS 1:04.06pr

Women’s 200m breaststroke
1. Qi Hui CHN 2:25.33
2. Luo Xuejuan CHN 2:28.15
3. Junko Isoda JPN 2:30.64
6. Kelli Waite AUS 2:33.47
(35.83;1:15.15;1:54.79)
8. Sarah Katsoulis AUS 2:36.07
(36.12;1:16.63;1:56.74)

400m individual medley
1. Yuko Nakanishi JPN 4:48.63
2. Ayane Sato JPN 4:49.01
3. Yoo-Sun Nam KOR 4:53.07
4. Yvette Rodier AUS 4:54.46
(1:06.57;2:20.51;3:46.59)
6. Georgie Bartlett AUS 4:58.80
((1:08.26;2:26.02;3:50.97)

4x100m freestyle relay *** new** *
1. CHINA 3:43.07
2. JAPAN 3:44.63
3. AUSTRALIA 3:50.29
Melinda Geraghty 57.53
Jessica Abbott 57.42
Jordana Webb 57.47
Kate Krywulycz 57.87
3. KOREA 3:53.12

4x20m freestyle relay
1. CHINA 8:02.37
2. JAPAN 8:04.96
3. AUSTRALIA 8:11.52
Kate Krywulycz 2:02.44
Lara Davenport 2:02.64
Tammie Smith 2:01.89
Felicity Galvez 2:04.55
3. KOREA 8:20.35

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