Chinese backstroker Chen Yanyan defeated German veteran Antje
Buschschulte in the women's 100 meters backstroke race at China
Open in Beijing on Tuesday.
Chen, 22, came from behind after the turn, touching the wall
first in one minute 1.98 second, but clocking two seconds more than
the world record.
"The result was just so so," said Chen, who grabbed the silver
in the 200 meters backstroke on Monday.
"I just felt very tired since I came back from Australia, but I
thought I did make improvements in both skills and tactics," added
Chen, who trained in Australia for three months together with
China's top freestyler Zhang Lin.
The 29-year-old Buschschulte finished second in 1:02.47 ahead of
Chen's teammate Liao Yali, who took the bronze medal in
1:02.92.
Buschschulte was the bronze medallist in the 200 meters
backstroke at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She took the bronze in the
event at China Open on Monday.
China makes one-two finish in women's 400m individual
medley
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World championships finalist Yu Ruiand 13-year-old Ding Mengqi
bagged home the gold and silver medals for China in the women's 400
meters individual medley on Tuesday.
As there were only eight competitors in the event, the final was
held directly without heats in advance.
Yu, took off from Lane four in the second to last final at the
Olympic test events, confirming her leading position after the
first two laps and meeting no challenge in the following 300
meters.
"The result was not satisfying," said Yu, who finished the race
in four minutes 46.31 seconds. "Because I didn't make special
preparation for the competition."
Yu's teammate Ding trailed the 17-year-old Yu in 4:51.25. South
Korean Jung Ji Yeon, who was disqualified in the 200 meters medley
heats on Sunday, took the bronze in 4:52.27.
Yu admitted that the time on Tuesday was far behind her personal
best and she still needed to do more work on details in
training.
Yu clinched the bronze at the 2006 Doha Asian Games with her
personal best of 4:39.51. Then the world championships rookie made
a sixth finish in Melbourne, Australia last year.?
Olympic medallist Cseh claims second individual medley
gold
Hungary's Olympic medallist Laszlo Cseh harvested a second
individual medley gold at the China Open on Tuesday after winning
the men's 400 meters individual medley race.
Cseh splashed into the lead in the first 50 meters, but was
overtaken by Japan's Hidemasa Sano in the second lap. The Hungarian
medley specialist regained the lead with hard-charging backstroke
and was the first to touch the wall first in 4:14.24.
The Olympic 400 meters individual medley bronze winner said
after the race that he was happy with what he achieved in the
tournament, but said he still needed to work on the turns. "I will
go to Mexico for training after returning to Hungary," he said.
Cseh has already bagged a gold in men's 200 meters individual
medley at the tournament on Monday. The 23-year-old swimmer placed
the fifth in last year's FINA ranking with an annual best time of
4: 12.35.
Mateusz Matczak of Poland took the silver in 4:19.40 and Japan's
Sano was edged to the third place, clocking 4:21.22.
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Sweden triumphs in men's 4x100 meters freestyle
relay
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The Sweden foursome snatched away the gold of men's 4X100 meters
freestyle with the swiftest time at the China Open on Tuesday.
Sweden's first leg swimmer Petter Stymne splashed into the
leadin the first 50 meters over Germany's Paul Biedermann. In the
second leg, Helge Meeuw leapt into the lead for his German squad,
but his teammates failed to keep the momentum against the
harder-charging Swede in the final two legs.
Sweden's anchor leg Stefan Nystrand said at a press conference
that the freestyle relay result was one of his best. "I'm swimming
faster and faster and I hope I can win two golds at the Olympics,"
he said.
Stefan has already taken two golds in men's 50 meters and 100
meters freestyle at the tournament.
The Swede finished in 3 minutes 18.53 seconds. The German
regimen was elbowed to the third by the Kazakhstan team, each
clocking 3:26.62 and 3:25.44 respectively.
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Japanese Kato takes victory in women's 100m
butterfly
Japanese Yuka Kato edged the host favorite Xu Yanwei with an
impelling dash to win the women's 100 meters butterfly at China
Open on Tuesday.
Kato raced into the final as the top qualifier with a result
of58.99 seconds in Monday's heats, then led through the two lap
final in 59.18 seconds, followed by Chinese sprinter Xu in a split
of 0.1 second.
Veteran Martina Moravcova from Slovakia grabbed the bronze in
59.47 seconds.
"The result was out of my expectation," said the 21-year-old
Kato. "The race was tough. I just focused on my own pace and didn't
notice the swimmers next to me."
Xu, a better competitor in short-distance freestyle said, "I'm
very pleased with my result today. It's not my main event, but it's
the race I performed best at China Open."
Xu believed that testing skills was much more important than
achieving medals at the Olympic test events.
Xu and Kato met in the 50 meters butterfly final at the 2006
Doha Asian Games, where the two placed second and third
respectively.
Polish big fish Otylia Jedrzejczak only managed a sixth finish,
as the Olympic champion in the 200 meters butterfly just came
hereto "see the venue and feel the pool".
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Germany's Meeuw snatches his 2nd backstroke
gold
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Germany's Helge Meeuw claimed his second backstroke victory at the
China Open on Tuesday.
In men's 200 meters backstroke, Meeuw went head to head in the
first few laps with South Korea's Sung Min and but claimed the
victory with a final charge that held off Sung by 1.65 seconds.
Meeuw's finishing time of 1:59.65 was just what he wanted for
the event. "I'm glad that I managed to swim under two minutes
today," he said.
This was Meeuw's second gold at the China Open after he was
crowned in men's 100 meters backstroke on Monday.
South Korea's Sung took the silver in 2:01.30, and the bronze
medal went to Portuguese swimmer Pedro Oliveira who clocked
2:03.40.
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(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2008)