Stephanie Rice grabbed her third gold medal at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday when she helped the Australian women’s 4×200 metres freestyle relay team obliterate the world record by nearly six seconds.
Rice teamed up with Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer and Linda Mackenzie to demolish the old record and claim the gold in seven minutes 44.31 seconds. The previous record, set by the United States, was 7:50.09.
China, still celebrating their first swimming gold in Beijing after Liu Zige won the women’s 200 butterfly less than an hour earlier, took silver while the United States won the bronze as the first five teams all went under the old world record.
Although Australia were not expected to win the gold their victory was not a total surprise after their impressive women’s team won gold medals on each of the four previous days.
Rice, who won gold in the 200 and 400 individual medleys, capped a remarkable first Olympics with her third world record of the Games.
“It’s so exciting, it’s me and Bronte’s last swim, and what a great way to finish, with a gold medal and a world record,” said Rice. “For us to break the record by so far is amazing.
“We went in knowing we had a really good chance. I wasn’t as nervous this time. I was trying to enjoy the moment. I’ve never led off a relay before.
“I feel amazing, I finished such a great meet as part of the relay, it’s amazing. There wasn’t a lot of nerves, just a lot of excitement, I’m so impressed with everything that happened.”
The U.S. went into the final as overwhelming favourites after setting the previous record at last year’s world championships in Melbourne but never got any higher than third.
The bronze kept Natalie Coughlin on course to win six medals in Beijing after her gold in the 100 backstroke, silver in the 4×100 freestyle and bronze in the 200 individual medley.
She has already qualified for Friday’s 100 freestyle final and will lead off the U.S. medley relay on Sunday.
However, America’s third placing was another disappointment for Katie Hoff, who is still chasing her first Olympic gold medal after nerves got the better of her in Athens four years ago and she vomited on the pooldeck.
Hoff arrived in Beijing attempting to win six gold medals, including five individual events, but has managed only a silver and two bronzes from her first five events with only the 800 freestyle to go.
“I’m doing good going into the 800,” Hoff said. “I’m definitely more determined for the 800, it’s definitely given me some motivation.”
Bob Bowman, the coach of Michael Phelps, who is also chasing five individual titles in Beijing, said Hoff had handled her programme brilliantly and she should be praised instead of criticised.
“The last Olympics was pretty much a complete disaster, so she’s way ahead of the game,” Bowman said.
“With every race she’s got better and grown a bit and she’s taken on these tough doubles too.
“She made the choice to do that and has handled that extremely well. I know she wanted to place higher and we always want to do better but I’m very proud of her.”
source: reuters.com
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