Krayzelburg Wins Second Gold

S Y D N E Y, Australia, Sept. 21, 2000 -- Inge de Bruijn won the 100-meterfreestyle today, her second gold medal of the Olympics, denyingAmerican Jenny Thompson a victory in her final chance for anindividual gold.

De Bruijn, of the Netherlands, won in 53.83 seconds. She also scored a victory in the 100 butterfly Sunday.

Therese Alshammar of Sweden took silver in 54.33. Thompson and teammate Dara Torres tied for bronze in 54.43 seconds.

“I’ve never had a bronze before,” Thompson said.

Led by Lenny Krayzelburg’s gold in the 200 backstroke, theUnited States collected eight medals on the sixth night of swimmingcompetition.

More Records for Thompson

Thompson’s medal made her the most decorated woman swimmer inhistory with nine career medals. Dawn Fraser of Australia, KorneliaEnder of Germany and American Shirley Babashoff are tied witheight.

The 27-year-old Thompson also broke a tie with Babashoff formost Olympic medals by an American woman.

Thompson’s failure to win a gold by herself was reminiscent ofthe 1996 Olympics, where she surprisingly didn’t qualify for anindividual event. She won three golds on relays, but postponedretirement to chase an individual gold.

Her only individual Olympic medal had been silver in the 100freestyle in 1992.

“The individual gold medal wasn’t in the cards, I guess,”Thompson said. “I’m just completely satisfied with how I did. Iknow I did the best I could.”

Torres, a 33-year-old swimming in her fourth Olympics after aseven-year layoff, claimed her second bronze. She was third to DeBruijn in the 100 butterfly Sunday.

Thompson, of Dover, N.H., and Torres, of Beverly Hills, Calif.,teamed to earn gold in the 400 freestyle relay Sunday. Thompson’sseventh career gold came Wednesday when she anchored the 800freestyle relay.

Backstroke Specialist

Krayzelburg, who emigrated from Ukraine 11 years ago, won hissecond Olympic gold, taking the 200 backstroke in an Olympic record1 minute, 56.76 seconds — slightly less than a second off his worldrecord. He also broke the Olympic mark in the preliminaries andsemifinals.

Aaron Peirsol, a 17-year-old from Irvine, Calif., won silver in1:57.35. Matthew Welsh of Australia was third in 1:57.59.

Tom Dolan of Arlington, Va., earned silver and Tom Wilkens ofMiddletown, N.J., won bronze in the 200 individual medley. Dolanfinished in 1:59.77 — the first American to ever go under 2 minutes— and Wilkens in 2:00.87.

“I gave it all I had. I was hurting coming home,” said Dolan,who won the 400 individual medley Sunday. “I didn’t have speed orstrength to go that fast.”

Massimiliano Rosolino of Italy won the gold in an Olympic recordof 1:58.98 to go with his silver in the 400 freestyle and hisbronze in the 200 free.

Piersol: Heir Apparent

Krayzelburg, of Studio City, Calif., joined Americans Rick Carey(1984) and John Naber (1976) and German Roland Matthes (1968, 1972)as the only men to sweep the Olympic backstrokes.

Krayzelburg won the 100 backstroke Monday. Welsh finished secondin that race.

Krayzelburg, who turns 25 next week, came to the United Statesin 1989. He spoke little English, but already had honed hisswimming skills in Odessa, Ukraine.

He raised his arms in triumph, congratulated Welsh in the nextlane, then embraced Peirsol, his teenager heir apparent. Hewhispered a message in Peirsol’s ear: “Keep it up.”

Peirsol is the only man with a victory over Krayzelburg in the200 back in the last two years. He upset his fellow Californian ata meet in Los Angeles in July.

“I think I’m getting to the point where, over time, I can bemore of a threat to him,” Peirsol said. “Just over the past twoweeks, I’ve learned a lot.”

Krayzelburg pressed his lips to the back of his gold on themedals podium. On the way to pose for photographers, he broke awayand hopped through the cameras to kiss and hug his father andmother, who clutched a U.S. flag.

Krayzelburg and Peirsol, the friendliest of rivals, tradedmedals, with the winner biting into Peirsol’s silver and theteen-ager biting the gold.

Kovacs Wins Gold

Before Krayzelburg became the first American to claim twoindividual swimming golds in Sydney, Kristy Kowal and Amanda Beardmedaled in the 200 breaststroke.

Kowal of Reading, Pa., was second in 2:24.56. Beard, who wonsilver in Atlanta as a fearless 15-year-old, was third in 2:25.35.

Beard squeaked into the final, grabbing the last spot in Lane 8— rough water to tread on the way to the medal stand.

“My coach told me, ‘You’re in eighth. All you can do is moveup,“‘ Beard said. “I decided to go out there and give it a shot.I went all out and told myself I’ve got to do it.”

Agnes Kovacs of Hungary won the gold in 2:24.35. Kovacs, whofinished third in the Atlanta Olympics, swam a personal best aftersetting the Olympic record in the semifinals.

Kowal’s jaw dropped in shock upon seeing her time on thescoreboard. A huge grin spread across her face as Beard made herway to her teammate to share a jubliant hug.

“I just wanted to come here and get a medal,” said Kowal,unable to stop crying. “I did that. I’m so happy. This makes upfor all the disappointments there have been in my career.”

Stage Is Set for Men’s 50m

Gary Hall Jr. of Phoenix put himself at center stage forswimming’s glamour event by qualifying fastest in the 50 freestylesemifinal.

Hall swam 22.07 seconds, ahead of Pieter van den Hoogenband, theDutch star who’s already won two golds in Sydney. Van denHoogenband was second in 22.11.

“It’s a good position to be in going to the finals,” saidHall, the silver medalist in Atlanta. “I’m right in the middle ofthe pool and I’ll have a good view of all the competitors—notthat I’ll be looking.”

Anthony Ervin of Valencia, Calif., was third in 22.13.

“It’s going to be a battle,” said Ervin, the first person ofblack heritage to make a U.S. Olympic swim team. “There’s morefast stuff to be seen. My goal is to win, but I’ll take a medal.”

Russian Alexander Popov was fourth in 22.17. He’ll attempt anunprecedented third consecutive Olympic 50 freestyle title inFriday’s final.

Diana Mocanu of Romania moved into position to sweep the women’sbackstroke events as the fastest qualifier in the 200 semifinalswith a time of 2:09.64. Mocanu was the 100 backstroke winnerMonday.

Amanda Adkins of Ghanna, Ohio, also advanced to Friday’s finalin seventh at 2:12.97. Lindsay Benko of Elkhart, Ind., didn’t makethe top eight.