Another day wrapped up at Beijing’s Water Cube and featured a very strong perfomance from Team USA. It included 3 World Records and a total of 6 medals.
The first gold and World Record came in the women’s 200 Breast where Rebecca Soni shocked the event favorite Leisel Jones, touching the wall in 2:20.22, the fastest time ever. Jones picked up the silver with a 2:22.05 swim, followed by Norway’s Sara Nordenstam (2:23.02).
The next final was the men’s 200 Back where joint World Record Holders Ryan Lochte and Aaron Peirsol were set to battle. In a thrilling finish, Ryan made it to the wall first with a new global standard of 1:53.94, just ahead of Aaron’s 1:54.33 which gave the US another 1-2 backstroke finish. The bronze medal went to Arkady Vyatchanin after a 1:54.93 performance.
The 3rd and final gold for Team USA was claimed by Michael Phelps in the 200 IM. He is 6-for-6 in his finals so far, all in World Record fashion. He stopped the clock in 1:54.23 for the win. Laszlo Cseh picked up his 3rd silver medal with a 1:56.52 finish, while Ryan Lochte scored his second individual medal of the session with a bronze medal-winning 1:56.53.
Natalie Coughlin repeated her Athens finish in the women’s 100 Free, taking bronze in 53.39. Britta Steffen (53.12 ) chased down Libby Trickett (53.16) to capture the gold and set a new Olympic Record.
Phelps took on a second event in the men’s 100 Fly semifinals. He qualified 2nd overall with a 50.97 output after winning the first semi heat. Ian Crocker also qualified for the final, turning in a swim of 51.27 in the second heat. The top seed will be Milorad Cavic, who clocked a swift 50.92 in Phelps’s heat.
In the 50 Free semi’s Ben Wildman-Tobriner moves on after a 21.76 sprint, while fellow American Garrett Weber-Gale just missed the cut with a 22.08 finish. Cesar Cielo posted the top time of 21.34, a new Olympic Record to lead all qualifiers.
Finally, both American swimmers will race for gold in the women’s 200 Back. Elizabeth Beisel advanced with a 2:07.90 along with current World Record Holder Margaret Hoelzer, who hit in 2:08.25. Kirsty Coventry pushed the pace in heat 2, swimming below world record pace for part of the race before shutting it down and cruising to a 2:07.76 finish. She will swim from Lane 4 tomorrow.