Beard Qualifies First for 200 Breast Final, Just Misses Recapturing World Mark

By Phillip Whitten

LONG BEACH, Calif., July 11. AMANDA Beard made a determined effort to retake her world record in the 200-meter breaststroke in her semifinal heat tonight at the US Olympic trials..

Only two days ago, Aussie Leisel Jones had taken away the mark Beard shared with China’s Qi Hui at 2:22.99 by going three-hundredths of a second faster. Tonight, Beard went out hard, turning halfway in 1:09.69, several hundredths ahead of Jones’ pace. She made the final turn in 1:46.74, the identical time that Jones had recorded half a world away.

Unchallenged, Beard gave it her all on the final lap, falling only 36-hundredths of a second short. Still, her 2:23.32 was a US Open and Trials record, and the world’s number two performance of 2004, setting up an anticipated duel in Athens.

The battle in tomorrow’s final will be for second place. Tonight, Tara Kirk swam second fastest at 2:26.25, just ahead of 2000 silver medallist Kristy Kowal, 2:27.30. Stacianna Stitts (2:28.78), Kristen Caverly (2:28.80) and Megan Quann (2:29.16) will duke it out to join Beard on the US squad.

RESULTS

Event 19 Women 200 LC Meter Breaststroke
==================================================================
World: W 2:22.96 7/9/2004 Leisel Jones, AUIS
American: A 2:22.99 7/25/2003 Amanda Beard, USA
U.S. Open: O 2:24.51 7/17/1999 Penny Heyns, RSA
Meet: M 2:24.56 7/11/2004 Amanda Beard, Tucson Ford
Oly. Tr. Cut: 2:35.99
Name Age Team Prelims Semis
==================================================================
=== Semis ===

1 Beard, Amanda 22 Tucson Ford Deal 2:24.56 2:23.32O
33.30 1:09.69 (36.39)
1:46.44 (36.75) 2:23.32 (36.88)
2 Kirk, Tara 21 Palo Alto Stanfo 2:30.35 2:26.25
32.76 1:09.72 (36.96)
1:47.60 (37.88) 2:26.25 (38.65)
3 Kowal, Kristy 25 Athens Bulldog S 2:30.16 2:27.30
33.34 1:10.64 (37.30)
1:48.89 (38.25) 2:27.30 (38.41)
4 Stitts, Staciana 22 Irvine Novaquati 2:29.96 2:28.78
33.70 1:10.74 (37.04)
1:48.92 (38.18) 2:28.78 (39.86)
5 Caverly, Kristen 19 Aquazot Swim Clu 2:31.04 2:28.80
33.68 1:11.08 (37.40)
1:49.58 (38.50) 2:28.80 (39.22)
6 Quann, Megan 20 South Sound Tita 2:30.86 2:29.16
33.20 1:11.20 (38.00)
1:49.78 (38.58) 2:29.16 (39.38)
7 Bruce, Caroline 18 Wichita Swim Clu 2:31.23 2:30.11
34.10 1:12.19 (38.09)
1:51.46 (39.27) 2:30.11 (38.65)
8 Sieper, Erin 20 Tucson Ford Deal 2:30.63 2:30.20
34.09 1:12.31 (38.22)
1:50.97 (38.66) 2:30.20 (39.23)
—————————————————————–
9 Hoff, Katie 15 North Baltimore 2:30.59 2:30.46
34.40 1:12.30 (37.90)
1:50.97 (38.67) 2:30.46 (39.49)
10 Botzum, Jessica 18 YMCA of the Tria 2:33.03 2:30.63
34.84 1:13.07 (38.23)
1:51.57 (38.50) 2:30.63 (39.06)
—————————————————————–
11 Soni, Rebecca 17 Scarlet Aquatic 2:32.08 2:30.98
34.34 1:12.29 (37.95)
1:51.36 (39.07) 2:30.98 (39.62)
12 Ertter, Lindsey 21 Athens Bulldog S 2:33.77 2:31.56
34.77 1:13.18 (38.41)
1:52.34 (39.16) 2:31.56 (39.22)
13 Spann, Lexi 17 Longhorn Aquatic 2:31.78 2:31.69
34.54 1:12.60 (38.06)
1:51.90 (39.30) 2:31.69 (39.79)
14 Tinnon, Elizabeth 19 Lakeside Swim Te 2:33.99 2:33.18
33.88 1:12.55 (38.67)
1:52.38 (39.83) 2:33.18 (40.80)
15 Stein, Kelli 22 Univ. Of Michiga 2:34.06 2:33.41
34.15 1:13.25 (39.10)
1:52.74 (39.49) 2:33.41 (40.67)
16 Sarnecki, Amalia 20 Wisconsin Aquati 2:33.54 2:35.09
34.60 1:13.74 (39.14)
1:54.29 (40.55) 2:35.09 (40.80)

=== Preliminaries ===

17 Pangilinan, Jaclyn 18 White Plains Ywc 2:34.25
18 Andrade, Lisa 24 Canyons Aquatic/ 2:34.33
19 Klein, Melissa 19 Dynamo Swim Club 2:34.57
20 Hehn, Keri 23 Minnesota Aquati 2:34.73
21 Jensen, Alicia 17 Team Foxjet 2:34.94
22 Roby, Ashley 23 Athens Bulldog S 2:35.13
23 Degolia, Hailey 17 Pleasanton Sea H 2:35.57
24 Shortt, Caitlyn 18 Mt Hood Swim Tea 2:35.61
25 Schmitt, Jessica 13 North Coast Aqua 2:35.70
26 Rinaldi, Jenna 18 Marlins of Ralei 2:35.73
27 Clark, Corrie 22 Suburban Swim Ce 2:35.78
28 Ellis, Alexandra 15 Blue Fins Swim T 2:36.06
29 Gabert, Stephanie 14 Aquazot Swim Clu 2:36.21
30 Finn, Alisa 13 New Trier Swim C 2:36.28
31 Commander, Shantel 19 Nashville Aquati 2:36.72
32 Smith, Elizabeth 15 Parkway Swim Clu 2:37.33
33 Kukors, Ariana 15 King 2:37.81
34 Duerk, Lauren 20 Auburn Aquatics/ 2:38.15
35 Mueller, Justine 17 Southern Michiga 2:38.24
36 Smith, Amilee 15 Rockville Montgo 2:38.40
37 Martin, Jillian 23 Fort Lauderdale 2:38.56
38 Heath, Samantha 16 Pleasanton Sea H 2:38.63
39 Lunsmann, Leslie 20 Cypress Fairbank 2:39.46
40 Davis, Laura 20 Terrapins Swim T 2:39.68
41 Marks, Jamie 15 Egg Harbor Twp S 2:39.98
42 Hall, Whitney 16 Lakeside Aquatic 2:40.57
43 Schmidt, Heidi 21 De Anza Cupertin 2:42.01
44 Smallwood, Aubrie 19 Leaping Lionfish 2:44.76
45 Williamson, Jaime 16 Cypress Fairbank 2:44.98
46 Avilla, Leah 18 Longhorn Aquatic 2:45.32
47 Coler, Catherine 22 Pleasanton Sea H 2:46.30
— Houston, Kathryn 16 Reno Aquatics DQ
— Liu, Erica 17 De Anza Cupertin NS

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