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Pity Pieter Dutchman outnumbered at Goodwill Games
BRISBANE, Australia -- Same faces, different city, different results. Just under a year ago, Pieter Van Den Hoogenband was breaking Australian hearts by beating Ian Thorpe at the Sydney Olympics. But at the Brisbane Goodwill Games, the flying Dutchman seems powerless to stop an Aussie swimming avalanche. Representing the Europe All Stars, Van Den Hoogenband, along with another Olympic champion Lars Frolander of Sweden, is making little impression at the Chandler Aquatic Centre. In the unusual match-racing format with points awarded in every race, the Europeans were humbled 113-35 by the slick Australians on Day 3 to squander any chance of making Monday's final. Ian Thorpe was given a light schedule, appearing in just two relays, but he did come head-to-head with Van Den Hoogenband in the opening medley relay. The pair swam the freestyle anchor legs but by the time Van Den Hoogenband hit the water, Thorpe was almost six seconds ahead after the strong performances by his three teammates. The 18-year-old maintained that advantage as the Australians won in a time of 3:41.86 for the first of 15 victories in 17 races. Van Den Hoogenband was typically graceful when interviewed in the pool alongside Thorpe, whom he famously upset in last year's 200-metres freestyle final at the Sydney Olympics. Thorpe got his revenge by defeating the Dutchman in July's world championships in world record time. "Australia have the best team in the world," Van Den Hoogenband said. "We're doing our best to provide good competition. That's what we're here for." In the 50-metres freestyle later in the program, Van Den Hoogenband, the world championship silver medallist, could only manage third as Poland's Bartosz Kizierowski and Australia's Brett Hawke outpaced him. The below-strength opposition hasn't taken the edge off the Aussie team's zealous approach. Grant Hackett , the 1,500-meter world record holder, says every win reinforces Australia's desire to be known as the leading swimming nation in the world. According to Thorpe, the Australians are starting to enjoy the match-racing format of the Goodwill Games. "This meet's about tactics," Thorpe said. "It's taken us a while to understand that. The Australian team are getting used to it and trying to put it to our full advantage." It's a format based on the U.S. collegiate system, but the Americans' natural know-how isn't enough to make up for the inadequacies of their young, inexperienced squad. Despite the presence of Olympic gold medallist Gary Hall Jr., the USA men suffered a second straight defeat on Day 3, losing to the surprising World All-Stars, 80.5 to 68.5. Hall once spoke of the Americans "smashing the Aussies like guitars." The U.S. squad is a little like an out-of-tune ukulele, which is missing all its strings. Jason Dasey is a co-anchor for World Sport, a 30-minute sports news and highlights program shown on CNN International and CNN/Sport Illustrated.
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