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Thursday, September 21
Bennett, Thompson to chase history


SYDNEY, Australia -- Brooke Bennett followed a magnificent American night in the Olympic pool by getting started on a second straight gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle.

Brooke Bennett
Brooke Bennett looks to follow in Janet Evans' footsteps.

Bennett, 20, of Plant City, Fla., was top qualifier in the preliminaries Thursday (Wednesday night ET), finishing in 8 minutes, 26.47 seconds.

She already won the 400 freestyle at these games and in the 800 final Friday night will try to join Janet Evans (1988, '92) as the only back-to-back winners of the most grueling event in women's swimming.

"I would have been happy with 8:28 and I was two seconds faster," Bennett said. "With my speed in the 400 and my endurance in the 800, I can swim really well tomorrow night."

Kaitlin Sandeno, 17, of Lake Forest, Calif., is a medal contender after placing third in the prelims at 8:30.12. Yana Klochkova of Ukraine, already a double gold medalist at these games, took second with 8:29.84.

Gary Hall Jr. of Phoenix qualified second in the preliminaries of the 50 freestyle, just 14 hours after winning bronze in the 100 free.

Hall's medal was part of a dominating performance by the Americans, who also got golds from Misty Hyman in the 200 butterfly and the women's 800 freestyle relay team.

Hall, 25, touched the wall in 22.14 to finish behind training partner Bartosz Kizierowski of Poland in the 50 prelims.

"I hope the 100 didn't take too much out of me," Hall said. "I had a lot of fun out there."

Another American, 19-year-old Anthony Ervin of Valencia, Calif., was fourth-fastest at 22.24. He is the first swimmer of black heritage to make the U.S. swim team.

"It was all right," Ervin said. "I didn't get too much sleep last night. I was a little concerned. My goal was just to make it back."

He did, along with 15 other swimmers advancing to the evening semifinals. The eight-man final is Friday.

The Australians, trying to rebound from a disappointing night, went 1-2 in prelims of the 100 butterfly. World record-holder Michael Klim led at 52.73, followed by Geoff Huegill's 52.79.

"I wanted to get the cobwebs out from last night," said Klim, who missed a medal in the 100 freestyle by one-hundredth of a second. "This is a very important one for me."

Ian Crocker, 18, of Portland, Maine, was the top American. He made the turn under world-record pace but faded to ninth, 53.45. Tommy Hannan of Baltimore also advanced to the semifinals with the 11th-fastest time, 53.54.

"I got a little too excited," Crocker said. "I powered a little too much. I've been ready to go all week."

Kizierowski, who went to the University of California and now trains with Hall's Phoenix-based team of elite sprinters, was top qualifier in the 50 at 22.05, well off Alexander Popov's world record of 21.64 set in June.

"I'd like to see a world record," Hall said. "Everybody is really tired. It's a long meet. ... But there's plenty of people who are capable of getting it."

Kizierowski said he doesn't plan to wear a high-tech bodysuit in the semis.

"It didn't really help me," he said. "I'll definitely shave down."

Popov was the No. 3 qualifier at 22.14, beginning his quest for a third straight Olympic victory in the 50.

The "Russian Rocket," who trains in Australia, took silver in the 100 on Wednesday, spoiling his bid for a third straight gold medal in that race.

"I feel a bit sleepy," Popov said. "It was hard to sleep after doping control (for the 100) because I drank too much."

Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands, the first man since Mark Spitz to win the 100 and 200 freestyles at the same Olympics, was fifth-fastest at 22.32.

Diana Mocanu of Romania, who already won gold in the women's 100 backstroke, led the 200 backstroke prelims at 2:09.21.

Lindsay Benko of Elkhart, Ind., was sixth in 2:12.72, while Amanda Adkins of Gahanna, Ohio, placed ninth, 2:13.54. Benko was coming back after swimming on the 800 freestyle relay team that won gold.

"It was pretty hard getting back to bed and trying to fall asleep," she said.

The evening program included the men's 200 back, where American Lenny Krayzelburg is a heavy favorite to win his second gold medal of the games. Another U.S. swimmer, Aaron Peirsol, is his top challenger.

Also, Jenny Thompson of Dover, N.H., will have her final chance to win an individual gold in the 100 freestyle. She has won seven golds -- all in relays -- the most for any female swimmer.

Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands was top qualifier in the 100 with a world-record time. She already has one gold medal in Sydney.

Other finals were in the women's 200 breaststroke and men's 200 individual medley, where American Tom Dolan goes for his second gold.


 

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Thompson anchors U.S. to gold in 800 free relay

USA's Hyman stuns O'Neill to win gold in 200 butterfly




   
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