Australia sweeps swimming gold

Klim, Thorpe, Kowalski, Dunn set world record in men's 4x200 free relay

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Posted: Friday September 25, 1998 06:44 PM

Michael Klim (left) is congratulated by his teammates after completing the last leg of Australia's 4x200-meter freestyle relay -- the team won the gold medal and set a world record Nick Wilson/Allsport

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (CNN/SI) -- Australia swept all five of Sunday's swimming gold medals at the Commonwealth Games including a world record performance in the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

Michael Klim fought back after a disastrous individual 100-meter butterfly event to join Ian Thorpe, Daniel Kowalski and Matt Dunn in recording 7 minutes, 11.86 seconds, .09 inside the Unified Team's record at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

"I hadn't had the best of meets so far but this was a new one and I put the others behind me," said Klim. "I knew I was capable of it and just wanted to go out there and prove it."

Australian coach Don Talbot wasn't surprised by Klim's relay swim.

"Peer group pressure helps to get them up and he wouldn't dare swim badly at the end. They'd choke him," Talbt said.

Earlier, Geoff Huegill inflicted another crushing defeat on butterfly world record holder Klim to start Australia's gold rush.

Australia has won eight of the 10 golds contested here and is aiming for the record 25 golds it achieved in 1994 in Victoria, Canada.

Klim was beaten in the 200-meter individual race, another event which he won at the world titles, by Thorpe Saturday.

The 15-year-old Thorpe missed the world record in that race by .01 seconds, and was given another chance to break it in the opening leg of the 4x200, but his 1:47.48 was well outside the 9-year-old mark of 1:46.69.

"He's a young boy," said Talbot. "He's not going to break records to order."

Huegill, starting from lane 4 with Klim out in lane 2, touched the wall first in a games record 52.81 seconds. He won easily from fellow Australian Adam Pine (53.09), with Klim (53.50) third for a clean sweep of the medals.

"I don't regard myself as the best around in this event yet," Huegill said. "Michael is still the world record holder and I think he deserves to stay as the No. 1 until someone can smash his record."

Klim set the world record at 52.15 late last year before winning the title at the wold championships. His life has been full of sponsor commitments since then and his training background and concentration are now on trial two years before the Sydney Olympics.

England's James Hickman, the third fastest in heats, was disqualified when the judges decided he had made an intentional break. Hickman argued with an official but then sat down in his chair to watch the start.

Hickman had a chance to atone two races later in the 400-meter individual medley, and just missed the gold medal with a brave, late surge at winner Trent Steed.

Hickman led out for the first half but Steed took over. He had a strong lead going into the final 100 meters of freestyle and was then lucky to hold the 22-year-old at bay.

"I was a little bit disappointed [about the disqualification] but I had another race to focus on so I couldn't dwell on it," Hickman said. "There's no point crying about it [but] I'll probably get angry about it later."

Australia's Olympic and world butterfly champion Susie O'Neill claimed her second gold, after winning Saturday's 4x200-meter relay, with victory in the 200-meter freestyle Sunday. It was her ninth Commonwealth medal, and sixth gold, stretching back to 1990. She has entered eight events here.

O'Neill touched in 2 minutes, 0.24 seconds, with English veteran Karen Pickering doing well to pick up silver in 2:01.19. Canada's Jessica Deglau, the fastest qualifier, claimed bronze.

Pickering was a double gold medalist in Victoria in 1994 but at 26 was expected to struggle here.

O'Neill, who needs three more golds to match Michael Wenden as Australia's most prolific Commonwealth champion, said she had an upset stomach before Sunday's races.

"I was a bit worried," O'Neill said. "I would have liked to have gone faster than that, so I might just use that as an excuse."

Former world champion Samantha Riley, fighting back after missing a medal at the world championships, powered out early and comfortably won the women's 200-meter breaststroke.

Riley finished in 2:27.30, with Canada's Courtenay Chuy and Laura Van Oosten taking silver and bronze.

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