Beijing's Water Cube witnessed an unusually fast heat on its first competition day as Olympic champions were either pushed to set new records or edged to lower ranks by less famous swimmers.
"I didn't expect the heats could be so fast. After seeing the first two heats, I just wanted to be the top seed for tomorrow," U.S. swimming prodigy Michael Phelps said after setting a new Olympic record in the men's 400m individual medley in his first race in Beijing. "I am pretty surprised. I did't think that I'd be the first to get it (new Olympic record), not until the finals."
Except Phelps, many swimming stars, seemed to be as shining as they were supposed to be.
In the men's 400m freestyle, 20-year-old Chinese swimmer Zhang Lin edged Park Taehwan, medal hope of the South Korea, to the third with a new Asian record. Australian swimmer Grant Hackett, current world's No. 1, entered the final as the fifth fastest. American Larsen Jensen entered the final as the top seed with a new Americas record.
Zhang is now with Australian coach Denis Cotterell, who guided Hackett to two Olympic gold medals.
In the men's 100m breaststroke, world record holder U.S. swimmer Brendan Hansen was edged to the ninth place. Norwegian Alexander Dale Oen beat Japanese "swimming king" Kosuke Kitajima with a new Olympic record and entered the semifinal as the top seed.
"I didn't think I was going that slow," Hansen said after the heat. "It's like we'are playing a big card game and all those guys are showing their hands. We got a lot of peacocks showing their feathers."
Other overshadowed "big fish" included Olympic Champion Australia's Libby Trickett, who ranked 12th in the women's 100 butterfly. "I am expecting to be faster tonight," said Trickett, who is currently the No.1 swimmer on the world's ranking.
Veteran Olympian Kirsty Conventry ranked seventh in the women's 400m individual medley, following 14-year-old Chinese swimmer Li Xuanxun. Olympic debutante U.S. swimmer Elizabeth Beisel, who will turn 16 on Aug. beat her team mate, top favorite Katie Hoff, ranking first in the heat.
"I was hoping to be a bit faster. The first swim there's always a bit of nerves," Conventry told reporters. "I took it out too fast. I let my head get in the way, a bit of the jitters...It's not the swim I wanted, but that's okay."
Meanwhile, in the women's 4X100m freestyle relay, Chinese swimmers ranked first with a new Asian record, edging world record holder Netherlands to the fourth. Olympic record holder Australia made to the final ranking sixth.
Despite surprise at other swimmers' fast swim, the "big fish" of the Games seemed to be relaxed and confident.
"My plan for my next few races is to get through them as comfortable as I can. I'm not going to change much. I am going to do things how I have always done them," Aussie swimmer Trickett said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2008)