Australia’s 4 x 200m women claim gold and smash world record
August 14, 2008
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In what had not been a good day at the pool so far for Australia the 4 x 200m freestyle team has changed all that.
Australia were hoping for three gold medals in the pool today. They have had to settle for one.
Swimming a world record time of 7:44.31, down from the previous record of 7:50.09, the team of Stephanie Rice, Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer and Linda Mackenzie have triumphed over China. The winning margin was 1.62 seconds. The USA took bronze.
France narrowly lead after the first leg with Coralie Balmy just 0.03 ahead of Stephanie Rice after the French girl clocked 1:56.57. By the next leg Australia held the lead and never looked back.
Other teams had individuals who swam faster times than the Aussie girls however this is a team event and overall the combination was too strong for the rest of the field. It was China’s Pang Jiaying who swam the fastest individual leg as she anchored the Chinese team with a 1:54.39 leg.
Stephanie Rice has now bagged three gold medals following her two medley gold’s she won on other days at the Beijing Olympic swim meet. So far all of Australia’s gold medals have come from the swimming pool and all have been won by the women.
Mr Phelps is over the moon as USA win thrilling 4 x 100m freestyle relay
August 11, 2008
For a while it looked like Michael Phelps was not going to have a chance to win his eight Olympic swimming gold medals in Beijing.
France were the surprise leaders with just metres to swim in the exciting 4 x 100m men’s freestyle relay final. USA’s Jason Lezak swam an amazing anchor leg recording 46.06 to swim past France’s Alain Bernard in what was almost the last stroke. The winning margin was just 0.08
USA smashed the world record they set yesterday swimming 3:08.24 in today’s final. The previous world mark was 3:12.23.
Micheal Phelps swam the first leg for the USA and was second with a time of 47.51. Next up was Garrett Weber-Gale who swam 47.02. The third swimmer for the USA was Cullen Jones swimming a time of 47.65.
In a good showing for his individual swim Australia’s Eammon Sullivan broke the world record with a time of 47.24.
Australia took the bronze medal 1.67 seconds behind the USA team
News of the day from Beijing August 7
August 7, 2008
It is my mother-in-laws birthday today so I am off to dinner to celebrate. We are having Peking duck. Mmmm…
That means a change of plans. I was going to go to see the torch relay as it arrived at Ditan Park this evening. Instead I have been hanging out at home loading photos to my Flickr account and watching the latest Olympic news on CCTV here in Beijing.
Here is a summary of what was making news
Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hong Kong Jockey Club are hosting the equestrian events for the Olympics. The horses are treated like royalty. The have a hospital, swimming pool and air-conditioned stables for the horses. I don’t know if the rider’s get it so good.
Michael Phelps’ turns the pressure down
Michael Phelps was shown in a press conference. Unlike some others I have seen the venue was packed. He was playing down his chances of winning eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics. He said he is not thinking about it at all and it is just the press making a big story about him.
Michael Phelps also said he will not take part in the opening ceremony as he is resting for his first event on Saturday evening. He starts his Olympic campaign with the 400m individual medley.
The secrets of the opening ceremony
The opening ceremony is scheduled to commence at exactly 8.00pm on August 8. That is 25 or so hours as I write the post. There was a rehearsal on Tuesday and all is in place for the grand show tomorrow night.
Something that is still a secret is just who will be the person to light the Olympic cauldron. The person talking about this said it will be someone who has made a sporting contribution to China and has the standing to be worthy of such an important honor.
My tip for this is Li Ning. He is a famous gymnast for the days of the Los Angeles Olympics. He now has a very successful sporting goods company in China.
Traffic in Beijing
The Traffic Management Bureau is responsible for ensuring things move smoothly on the roads. For the Olympic games athletes there should be no problem as there is a dedicated Olympic lane on the roads using to transport them around Beijing. They said there are 285 special lanes in Beijing.
This on top of the odds and evens car restrictions should see smooth sailing on the roads during the Olympic period. The Traffic Bureau encouraged the general public to use the public transport.
Sailing in Qingdao
On Wednesday it was registration cutoff day for the Beijing Olympic sailing regatta to be held in Qingdao. 61 teams with 400 sailors are competing at the Olympic games in China.
An Australia pairing was interviewed. They said they will be travelling to Beijing for the opening ceremony ahead of their first day of competition on August 11. The Australians said Qingdao was like a second home to them as they have been in the city for nine months in the past four years. How is that for a detailed preparation?
The Chinese will be sailing for the countries first gold medal at an Olympic regatta. The best results in the past inclued a silver in Barcelona and Athens.
Men’s football kicks off today
There are eight matches scheduled for today in the Olympic men’s football competition. Matches take place at four venues around China.
At 5pm Australia takes on Serbia in Shanghai in a group A match. At the same time the USA faces Japan in Tianjin. Brazil plays Belgium in Shenyang and Honduras take on Italy in the last of the 5pm matches in Qinhuangdao.
Here is the full Olympic Football schedule.
Should the swimmers go back to wearing budgey smugglers?
August 6, 2008
The Beijing Olympic swimming program hits the water in just three days. Many are expecting this Olympics to see the most ever world records for one Olympic meet. Why? Because of the Speedo LZR suit. Since its introduction in February 2008 there have been 29 long course world records.
There has been a lot of talk about the merits of such a suit. Should it be banned from swimming? Australian Beijing Olympic swim team member Grant Hackett does not think so. He thinks the suit is just part of the evolution of the sport. He said noone said to ban Michael Jordan’s Air Nike’s or Lance Armstrong’s better bike.
Australian swim team coach Alan Thompson also thinks there is no problem with the Speedo LZR suit. He said there has always been advancement with swimsuits in the sport. Thompson said he hopes that the swimsuit does not take away the spotlight from the athletes and their performances in the water.
With a super suit like the Speedo LZR suit I have no problem with the swimmers wearing them so long as everyone has access to them.
Do you think the swimmers should be wearing the new swimsuits? Or should they return to the days of the speedo briefs or budgey smugglers as some people call them in Australia?
At the end of the day it still takes years of hard work and dedication to reach the top. Just putting on a Speedo LZR suit will not make you an Olympic champion.
Australian swim team has last hit out before China Olympics
July 7, 2008
The Australian Beijing Olympic swimming team has had their final hit out before the August Olympics. The team competed in a grand prix carnival at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
The event was conducted following the same night heats and morning finals format that will be used in Beijing.
The highlight on the final day of action was Brisbane teenager Cate Campbell posting the fifth fastest 50m freestyle swim in history.
There is some concern over Eamon Sullivan as he was not able to swim at top speed in the 50m race. He appeared to injure himself at the start and he just slowly swum the lap before getting treatment after the race.
Now that the US trials are almost completed it will be interesting to compare results and try to guess who is going to win the medals in Beijing.
Here is the full Australian Swim team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics:
2008 Australian Olympic Swim Team for Beijing
| Firstname | Lastname | Age | Club | State |
| Angie | Bainbridge | 18 | Hunter | NSW |
| Bronte | Barratt | 18 | Albany Creek | QLD |
| Grant | Brits | 20 | SOPAC Swim Club | NSW |
| Leith | Brodie | 21 | Albany Creek | QLD |
| Ashley | Callus | 29 | Redlands | QLD |
| Cate | Campbell | 15 | Indooroopilly | QLD |
| Alicia | Coutts | 20 | Redlands | QLD |
| Lara | Davenport | 24 | Kingscliffe | NSW |
| Ashley | Delaney | 21 | Nunawading | VIC |
| Sophie | Edington | 24 | Kingscliffe | NSW |
| Nicholas | Ffrost | 21 | Southport Olympic | QLD |
| Sally | Foster | 22 | Central Aquatic | WA |
| Felicity | Galvez | 23 | SOPAC Swim Club | NSW |
| Grant | Hackett | 27 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Samantha | Hamill | 17 | Quad Park | QLD |
| Belinda | Hocking | 17 | Albury | NSW |
| Leisel | Jones | 22 | CA Tritons | VIC |
| Andrew | Lauterstein | 20 | Southport Olympic | QLD |
| Linda | MacKenzie | 24 | Mackay | QLD |
| Alice | Mills | 21 | Chandler | QLD |
| Kenrick | Monk | 19 | SOPAC Swim Club | NSW |
| Patrick | Murphy | 24 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Meagen | Nay | 19 | St Peters Western | QLD |
| Travis | Nederpelt | 24 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Kirk | Palmer | 21 | Barker Aquatic | NSW |
| Kylie | Palmer | 18 | Albany Creek | QLD |
| Adam | Pine | 32 | Ginninderra | NSW |
| Shayne | Reese | 25 | CA Tritons | VIC |
| Stephanie | Rice | 19 | St Peters Western | QLD |
| Brenton | Rickard | 24 | Brothers | QLD |
| Jessicah | Schipper | 21 | Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton | QLD |
| Melanie | Schlanger | 21 | Commercial | QLD |
| Emily | Seebohm | 15 | Brothers | QLd |
| Christian | Sprenger | 22 | Commercial | QLD |
| Nicholas | Sprenger | 22 | St Peters Western | QLD |
| Craig | Stevens | 27 | SLC Aquadot | NSW |
| Hayden | Stoeckel | 23 | Norwood | SA |
| Eamon | Sullivan | 22 | West Coast | WA |
| Matthew | Targett | 22 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Lisbeth | Trickett | 23 | Commercial | QLD |
| Tarnee | White | 26 | Chandler | QLD |
| Head Coach * | |||
| Alan | Thompson | ||
| Section Managers | |||
| David | Wilson | Section Manager | |
| Lynn | Fowlie | Assistant Section Manager | |
| Bruce | Steed | Assistant Section Manager | |
| Team Coaches * | |||
| Michael | Bohl | St Peters Western | NSW |
| Matt | Brown | Brothers | QLD |
| Ian | Pope | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Vince | Raleigh | Australian Institute of Sport | |
| Shannon | Rollason | Australian Institute of Sport | |
| Greg | Salter | Kingscliffe | NSW |
| Grant | Stoelwinder | West Coast | WA |
| Rohan | Taylor | CA Triton | VIC |
| Stephan | Widmer | Commercial | QLD |
| Ken | Wood | Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton | QLD |
Phelps and Hoff open US Olympic swim trials with world records
June 30, 2008
Michael Phelps has broken his own world record in the 400m individual medley on the opening day of the US Olympic swim trials being held in Omaha Nebraska. His time of 4:05.25 took nearly a second off his time set at the 2007 World Championships. Second placed Ryan Lochte completed the eight laps in 4:06.08 which also bettered the previous record of 4:06.22.
Katie Hoff broke the 400 IM world record set by Australia’s Stephanie Rice at the Australian swim team Olympic trials earlier this year. Her time of 4:31.12 shaved off 34-hundredths of a second from the record. Elizabeth Beisel took second place with the third fastest time in the world for 2008. She has only been bettered by two world record setting swims.
The other swimmer to book themselves a ticket to the Beijing Olympics was Larsen Jensen. He won a hotly contested 400-metre freestyle event. Jensen set a new American record and edged out the former holder, Peter Vanderkaay.
The first place finishers in each of the finals have automatically qualified for Beijing. The second-place finishers are most likely to be added later in the week however it is not guaranteed.
Next up will the finals for the women’s 100m butterfly, men’s 100m breaststroke and women’s 400m freestyle.
D’Arcy’s Olympic Dream Officially Becomes Nightmare
June 17, 2008
Nick D’Arcy’s final hope of going to the Beijing Olympics has been taken away. On Monday The Australian swimmer had his final avenue of appeal rejected by a three-man Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel.
The CAS panel was made up of David Grace QC, Allan Sullivan QC, and Malcolm Holmes QC and sat for five hours to consider the case. In the end they dismissed D’Arcy’s appeal against a decision made last week by the Australian Olympic Committee executive board.
The ruling brings to an end the Olympic saga that started when Nick D’Arcy who in the early hours of March 30 was out celebrating his inclusion in the Australian Olympic swimming team allegedly assaulted former swimmer Simon Cowley in a Sydney bar incident.
For D’Arcy the chance to swim at the China Olympics is definitely over. He now has to go through the legal process as he tries to clear his name in relation to the alleged assault.
D’Arcy’s lawyer, Jack Leitner will be representing him in court on June 17 at the second hearing in his criminal case. D’Arcy is charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to Cowley. This is an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ jail.
Take two - D’Arcy Olympic team membership terminated
June 11, 2008
The Australian Olympic Committee Executive have unanimously decided to terminate Nick D’Arcy’s membership of the Australian Olympic team. The decision was announced on the Australian Olympic website a short time ago.
The meeting to decide D’Arcy’s fate was held in Sydney with video conference links to Melbourne, Brisbane and Launceston and was attended by the following members of the AOC Executive:
Ron Harvey Chairman
Kevan Gosper (by video conference - Melbourne)
Phil Coles
Peter Montgomery
Michael Wenden (by video conference - Brisbane)
Helen Brownlee
Doug Donoghue
Russ Withers (by video conference - Melbourne)
Lynne Bates
Ian Chesterman (by video conference - Launceston)
Nick Green (by video conference - Melbourne)
Tom King
Victoria Roberts
Craig Phillips (non voting Executive member)
After D’Arcy addressed the committee they discussed the matter amongst themselves before voting on the following resolution:
That Nicholas D’Arcy’s membership of the 2008 Australian Olympic Team be terminated.
As the resolution was passed unanimously D’Arcy once again finds himself out the Australian Olympic swim team for Beijing.
It is expected that D’Arcy will again appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He continues to train with the faint hope that he will be included in the team for Beijing.
Australian swimmer D’Arcy waiting for AOC outcome
June 11, 2008
Australian Olympic team swimmer has pleaded his case to the Australian Olympic Committee executive in Sydney. He now faces an anxious wait before the committee makes the announcement which is expected later today.
The lawyer for D’Arcy, Jack Leitner, says they had a fair hearing and it went well.
D’Arcy, faced the AOC board, which consists of Olympian and veteran IOC members, in a bid to take his place in the Australian swimming team for the Beijing Games.
D’Arcy had earlier been banned from the team by AOC president John Coates back in April for bringing himself and the Australian team into disrepute following a nightclub altercation with retired swimmer Simon Cowley, just hours after being named in the Australian swim team for Beijing.
After D’Arcy appealed the decision by John Coates to kick him off the team, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Coates did not have the authority to terminate the swimmer’s membership of the team and the AOC executive must vote on such matters.
D’Arcy appears in court later this month to try to clear his name as he faces a charge of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm on Cowley at a Sydney bar on March 30.
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June 9, 2008
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