US Olympic Trials – Day 7 Finals Highlights

By Kari Lydersen

Men's 100 Fly
Ian Crocker, just 17, won the 100 fly in a new Olympic Trials record of 52.78, breaking his own 52.82 record from the prelims. Matt Biondi previously held the mark with a 53.09 from 1988.
Crocker, swimming for the Portland Porpoises, was third at the 50 in 24.81 and took it home in a 27.97 to touch out Tommy Hannan, 20, of Eagle. Hannan
was out first at the 50 in 24.31. Hannan made his first Olympic team with the finish; this is actually his first Olympic Trials.
Dod Wales was third in 53.41, and Bryan Jones was fourth in 53.79. Matt Ulrickson was fifth in 53.82, Jeff Somensatto sixth in 53.89, Adam Messner
seventh in 53.97 and Matthew Pierce eighth in 54.15.

Women's 800 Free
Brooke Bennett, the gold medalist in this event in the last Olympics, won
handily with an 8:23.92, just shy of Janet Evans's 8:23.59 Trials record from
1988.
Bennett, 20 and representing Blue Wave, took the lead from the first 100 with
a 1:01.05 and continued to hold between 1:03.3 and 1:03.5 through the 600.
Her last two 100s descended, with a 1:03.16 and 1:02.51.
Diana Munz, the 400 free champion at this meet, hung in second through the
600. The last 200 she succumbed to a move by 400 IM champion Kaitlin Sandeno,
who qualified for her third individual event at the Olympics with an 8:28. 61
second place.
Munz was just a hair behind, third in 8:28.66. At 1:01.63 Munz's last 100 was
the fastest of the field, but not quite enough to pass Sandeno.
Fourth was 15-year-old Kalyn Keller, the sister of men's 400 free champion
Klete Keller. Keller, from Phoenix Swim Club, swam an 8:38.70. Fifth was
Julie Varozza at 8:40.56, sixth Rachel Komisarz at 8:43.03, seventh Magda
Dyszkiewicz at 8:43.48 and eighth Jamie Tannhauser at 8:44.11.

Men's 50 Free
Gary Hall Jr. broke Tom Jager's 1990 American record of 21.81 with his 21.76
victory in the 50 free. Anthony Ervin, 19, was second, also under the old
record in 21.80. Both swimmers represent Phoenix Swim Club.
Hall, 25, had threatened to break the record with a 21.93 prelim swim and a
21.91 in semi-finals.
Hall won the silver in this event and the 100 free at the 1996 Olympics. He
was second in the 100 free here, qualifying for that event and the 400 free
relay.
Ervin also made the 400 free relay team.
Third was Neil Walker, the 100 free champion and runner-up in the 100 back at
this meet, in 22.12.
Defending world champion Bill Pilczuk, 28, was fourth in a personal best of
22.21.
Fifth was Jason Lezak (22.30), sixth Matt Macedo (22.51), seventh Aaron
Ciarla (22.55) and eighth Christian Hasbach (22.81).

Women's 50 Free Semi-Finals
Amy Van Dyken, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist in this event, won the first
semi-final heat by breaking her own Trials record from 1996. She swam a
25.11, the old record was a 25.17.
But then in the next heat, Dara Torres broke that record with a 24.93, .20
short of her own American record from June.
Torres, 33, has already qualified for the Olympic team with second places in
the 100 fly and 100 free, making her the first woman to swim in four
Olympics. Torres set an American record in the 100 fly prelims.
Jenny Thompson, the winner of the 100 fly and 100 free at this meet,
scratched the 50, saying she already had a full schedule at Sydney.
Third qualifier in the 50 behind Torres and Van Dyken was Haley Cope at
25.48, followed by 15-year-old Christina Swindle at 25.50. Fifth was 1996
Olympian Catherine Fox in a personal best of 25.53, followed by Courtney
Allen in 25.61. Liesl Kolbisen was seventh in 25.63, and eighth was Tammie
Stone in 25.67.

Full results are available from the US Swimming site

======================================================

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