Two Words: Sun Yang; Lohn Lineup For 100 Fly

Column by John Lohn, Swimming World senior writer

MEDIA, Pennsylvania, September 26. THIS could very well be one of the last times you read this statement: No Chinese man has ever captured an Olympic gold medal in swimming. Why is this commentary on life support? Two words: Sun Yang.

We all know about the young man's rising status as one of the premier performers in the world, a distinction that was solidified when Sun broke the long-standing 1500 freestyle world record of Grant Hackett at the World Championships. Still, how many of us really expected the teenager to nearly eclipse the global standard in the 400 free at the Chinese Nationals?

When Sun popped a mark of 3:40.29 to crush the field in the 400 free last week, it was necessary to rub my eyes and give a second – and third – look at the time. A couple of more blinks later, it was still tough to digest the third-swiftest clocking in history, one bettered by only Paul Biedermann (3:40.07) and Ian Thorpe (3:40.08). Biedermann's time, of course, arrived at the height of the super-suit era.

As the Olympics grow closer, there will be much speculation concerning Sun's potential in London. Without question, he's going to run away with the gold medal in the 1500 free. No one can close in similar fashion. As for the 400 free, Sun's most-recent showing suggests this event is creeping nearer to being a lock. Sun appears poised to dip under 3:40 and I'm not sure anyone else in the world, including Tae Hwan Park, can match that pace.

So, that brings us to this question: Can Sun register an Olympic trifecta by also capturing top honors in the 200 free? Perhaps I'll regret this comment down the road, but I just don't see it happening. With Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte pacing the field in the four-lap freestyle, I don't see Sun putting together the 1:43-point it will likely take to prevail in the 200 free. That doesn't mean he won't push for the bronze medal, but the 200 distance might be a little too short for the Chinese star.

However you view things, we know for certain that Sun Yang is a special talent and will provide plenty of excitement in the Olympic year.

**Wanted to get some discussion going on all-time finals, so during the next several months, we'll ask readers to put together historical eight-person championship finals in specific events. Fill out the field based on the greatest swimmers in history and post it in the comments section.

This Week: Men's and Women's 100 Butterfly.

The Lohn Lineup (Alphabetical order): Ian Crocker; Michael Gross; Michael Klim; Pablo Morales; Anthony Nesty; Denis Pankratov; Michael Phelps; Mark Spitz.

There is definitely room here for maneuvering of the lineup, especially with the likes of Joe Bottom, Matt Gribble and Matt Vogel in the mix. While there were several no-brainers during the selection process, the depth and equality of this event should make for some quality discussion. Readers: Have at it!

The Lohn Lineup (Alphabetical order): Mayumi Aoki; Inge de Bruijn; Ada Kok; Mary T. Meagher; Nancy Ramey; Sharon Stouder; Jenny Thompson; Libby Trickett.

With the elimination of the East German women from the conversation, due to the systematic doping program instituted by officials, this event became extremely difficult to select. Like the men, there is plenty of room for argument. The one name I expect to trigger debate is that of Jenny Thompson. While she never won an Olympic medal in the event, she is a two-time world champion and took down Mary T. Meagher's long-standing world record in 1999.

**The start of the college season is upon us, so the relative lull in the sport will be alleviated in the coming weeks. As much as the international scene is captivating, I'm a huge fan of the collegiate campaign. Although the sport is generally an individual endeavor, how can you not like the team aspect of college racing? Sit back and enjoy the push to March, with my early picks for titles – not surprisingly – going to the Cal women and Texas men.

**It was announced last month that the United States Olympic Committee will not submit a bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games. That means the soonest the Summer Games will return to United States will be 2024, marking a 28-year hiatus. The Winter Olympics, of course, were in Salt Lake City in 2002. It's disappointing that the globe's premier Olympic nation will go so long without hosting the greatest sporting spectacle in the world.

Follow John Lohn on Twitter: @JohnLohn

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