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Racing to records Thorpe, Huegill set more marks at trials
Posted: Sunday May 14, 2000 10:59 AM
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Ian Thorpe powered to his second world record within 24 hours -- his ninth overall -- in a semifinal of the 200 meters freestyle Sunday at the Australian Olympic selection trials. The 17-year-old Thorpe, who set a new record for the 400 meters freestyle Saturday night, returned Sunday to register 1:45.69 in the 200 to better his own mark by 0.31. After clocking 3 minutes, 41.33 seconds in the 400 to shave a half second off the record he already owned, he said happier just to qualify for his first Olympics than to take another record. And after the big Aussie kid with the size 17 feet clocked his second successive record, he said he has more in the tank. "I still had a little bit in reserve tonight," said the aptly nicknamed "Thorpedo." "I felt pretty good in the water -- I went out a little bit slower than I usually would and I came home harder. "I would have thought I'd have to go out harder to get the record ... I've just contradicted that." Thorpe, who broke the 200 world record twice on consecutive nights at the Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney last August, predicted a faster time in the 200 final scheduled for Monday night. He said he expected to be pushed a bit harder by Grant Hackett, the world record holder at 1,500 and a former holder of the 200 record, and Michael Klim. The crowd reaction to Thorpe completely overshadowed Geoff Huegill, who opened the second day of the trials with a world record in the final of the 50 meters butterfly, a non-Olympic event. The 21-year-old Huegill clocked 23.6 seconds to cut 0.08 off the previous record set by Russia's Denis Pankratov in 1996. Huegill said he had Klim, the world record holder at 100 meters butterfly, and 1996 Atlanta silver medalist Scott Miller in his sights for the 100 later this week. The Australian trials started Saturday and will continue through May 20 at the Sydney Aquatic Center, the swimming venue for the Sept. 15-Oct. 1 Olympics. Only first and second finishers at the trials will qualify for the Australian Olympic team. In other events, Petria Thomas ended Susie O'Neill's decade-long domination of the 100 meters butterfly at Australian championships, edging the Atlanta gold medalist by 0.28 in the final. O'Neill, who won the 200 meters butterfly at the '96 Olympics, had won a record-equaling 10 successive Australian titles in the 100 before Thomas produced a time of 58.43 to grab the victory. "I thought this should have happened a few years ago," said Thomas, who had to overcome two shoulder reconstructions in two years to make the Australian Olympic team. Phil Rogers ensured a berth for his third Olympics, clocking 1:02.59 to touch 0.04 ahead of Commonwealth champion Simon Cowley in the 100 meters breaststroke final. But it was Thorpe's record shattering 200 that grabbed the attention of the 7,000-strong crowd. Dressed in his black, full-length adidas bodysuit, Thorpe left the blocks in second place but had grabbed a lead by the first turn. He was just outside world-record pace in the second and third laps before surging away from Hackett,who placed second, in the final 50. His coach, Doug Frost, said Thorpe would be almost unbeatable at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. "I'd be surprised if anybody can bring themselves to that level within the next three months. I really doubt it," Frost said of Thorpe's form over the 400. "I think Ian's probably the benchmark at this point," he added. "I know he's capable of going faster -- I think you haven't seen the best of Ian until he matures as a sprinter."
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