Wu Wins Two as FINA World Cup Tour Begins in Rio

By Phillip Whitten

RIO DE JANEIRO, November 16. CHINESE Wonderboy Wu Peng, just 15, won two events in impressive fashion to highlight the first of two days of competition in Rio de Janeiro. Rio is the first stop of the FINA World Cup circuit for 2002-03.

Wu won the short course 400m individual medley in 4:12.72, then came back to take the 200m fly in 1:56.65, each time beating Hungary's Tamas Kerekjarto, a former USC star, to the wall.

Wu was the only double winner among thed men today. Ukraine's Yana Klochkova took two in the women's competition, coming from behind to edge Amanda Beard in the 200 IM in 2:11.23 and winning the 800 freestyle handily in 8:33.73.

Here are some of the other highlights.

Men's Events
ARGENTINA'S Jose Meolans, world short course champion for 50m free, beat Olympic champion and WR-holder Pieter van den Hoogenband in the 100 meters, 47.84 to 48.03. Hoogie later came back to win the 400m free by almost six seconds, clocking 3:43.75.

Brazil's Eduardo Fischer picked up a second South American win by taking the 50m breast in 27.72 while
teammate Fernando Scherer made it three by winning the 50m fly in 23.85 with Hoogie second again.

Germany's Stefan Driesen led a one-two German sweep of the 100m back with his 53.96, then finished second behind Poland's Bart Kizierowski, a former standout at the University of California, Berkeley, who took the 100m IM in 55.56.

Women's Events
THE USA's Amanda Beard won the 100m breaststroke in impressive fashion, clocking 1:07.10 to Australia's Brooke Hanson's 1:07.73. Beard followed up with a second-place finish in the 200 IM (2:12.44), just ahead of teammate Gabrielle Rose (2:13.63).

Haley Cope won a second gold for the Stars and Stripes, clocking 27.77 seconds in the 50m back, the event in which she has won a world championship title.

Chinese swimmers won two events today. Pang Jiaying took the 200m free in 1:59.05, just ahead of Americans Rachel Komisarz and Rose. Zhou Yafei won the 100m fly in 59.55, 5-hundredths ahead of South Africa's Mandy Loots with Komisarz third.

The Netherlands Chantal Groot was the winner of the 50m free in 25.51, with hometown faves Flavia Delaroli amd Renata Burgos right behind.

South Africa's Charlene Wittstock, second in the 50 back, took the 200 in 2:08.98, less than a second ahead of the USA's Pam Hanson.

RESULTS
MEN

100 metres freestyle
1. Jose Meolans (ARG) 47.84
2 Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED) 48.03
3. Ryk Neethling (RSA) 48.27

50 metres breaststroke
1. Eduardo Aquiles Fischer (BRA) 27.72
2. Hugues Duboscq (FRA) 27.89
3. Brenton Rickard (AUS) 27.99

400 metres individual medley
1. Wu Peng (CHN) 4:12.72
2. Tamas Kerekjarto (HUN) 4:15.32
3. Adam Lucas (AUS) 4:16.81

100 metres backstroke
1. Steffen Driesen (GER) 53.96
2. Toni Helbig (GER) 54.13
3. Alexandre Massura Neto (BRA) 54.22

200 metres butterfly
1. Wu Peng (CHN) 1:56.65
2. Tamas Kerekjarto (HUN) 1:57.00
3. Kaio Marcio de Almeida (BRA) 1:57.20

400 metres freestyle
1. Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED) 3:43.75
2. Stefan Herbst (GER) 3:49.10
3. Rodrigo Rocha Castro (BRA) 3:49.54

200 metres breaststroke
1. Hugues Duboscq (FRA) 2:10.41
2. Brenton Rickard (AUS) 2:10.52
3. Marcelo Augusto Tomazini (BRA) 2:12.07

100 metres individual medley
1. Bartosz Kizierowski (POL) 55.56
2. Stefan Herbst (GER) 55.88
3. Scott Tucker (USA) 56.02

50 metres butterfly
1. Fernando Scherer (BRA) 23.85
2. Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED) 23.96
3. Raphael Thuin (BRA) 24.03

WOMEN
200 metres freestyle
1. Pang Jiaying (CHN) 1:59.05
2. Rachel Komisarz (USA) 1:59.32
3. Gabrielle Rose (USA) 1:59.55

100 metres breaststroke
1. Amanda Beard (USA) 1:07.10
2. Brooke Hanson (AUS) 1:07.73
3. Staciana Stitts (USA) 1:09.12

100 metres butterfly
1. Zhou Yafei (CHN) 0:59.55
2. Amanda Loots (RSA) 0:59.60
3. Rachel Komisarz (USA) 1:00.16

50 metres backstroke
1. Haley Cope (USA) 27.77
2. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 28.00
3. Nina Zhivanevskaya (ESP) 28.44

200 metres individual medley
1. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 2.11.23
2. Amanda Beard (USA) 2.12.44
3. Gabrielle Rose (USA) 2.13.63

50 metres freestyle
1. Chantal Groot (NED) 25.51
2. Flavia Renata Delaroli (BRA) 25.58
3. Renata de Oliveira Burgos (BRA) 25.82

800 metres freestyle
1. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 8.33.73
2. Chen Hua (CHN) 8.36.38
3. Rachel Komisarz (USA) 8.38.12

200 metres backstroke
1. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 2.08.98
2. Pamela Hanson (USA) 2.09.64
3. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 2.11.23

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