is right now…winner? I bet Pieter van den Hoogenband…
Thorpe won.
…OK, now that we know the result, tell us how the race materialized (did he lead from the gun or did he put the hammer down in the final 50m) ?
I know its easy to say now but that was how I predicted it would go down except I thought Hackett was going to beat Klete.
NBC is doing a good job, but not that good…have to wait until they’re broadcast tonight…bet it was a good race. Also the result of the women’s 100 bk looks like it was a close race…
This article details the race…
geez, after reading this article on espn.com about the 200, you’d think that phelps has been a failure, after all he “only” has a shot at 5 more golds and has “only” medalled in all 3 events he has been in so far…
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/swimming/news/story?id=1860438
It was one hell of a race. At one point (I think the 100m) they were over a second under world record pace (VDH that is). Thorpe was swimming about a half meter behind him, Phelps 1 meter or a little more, and the rest of the field was way back. Near the end Phelps started to move up, and VDH was fading, but it was
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Thorpe
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VDH
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Phelps
Yeah, the press is unbelieveably obnoxious with these races. It’s like if they don’t amount to the highese possible expectation they’ve failed. Phelphs is fortunate to have a coach that seems to keep it all in perspective. That woman who interviews everyone after they swim is really beginning to piss me off.
The kid (Phelps) has done more in the past three days than the combined athletic resume of all slowtwitch posters combined (OK, perhaps not quite if you include Molina who posts on here from time to time).
A couple of points on Phelps.
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Its mostly forgotten that, like Phelps, Spitz went to the 68 olympics a few months after his high school gradulation widely hyped to win a ton of gold. He cam back with only 2 relay gold medals and was roundly considered a “failure.” He came back 4 years later with a vengence. This story, as over hyped as it has been, is not over yet.
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In a true showing of balls, Phelps chose to swim the 200 Free solely so he could go against Thorpe so he could go mano a mano with the top swimmer in the world. Phelps knew it would be tough, the 200 free is not one of his best events, but he chose to do it instead of just going for a “safe” 4 or 5 golds and calling it a day.
Moreover, Phelp’s “lineup of events” seems tougher than Spitz’s 100/200 fly, 100/200 free and three relays. Phelps has some pretty gruelling races complete with prelim rounds on his agenda. Regardless, Thorpe is a total stud. I’m glad that he was able to “step up and deliver” in the 400m.
Agreed. His choice of swimming the 200 free is particularly noteworthy. This is an event where his best time (prior to the Olympics) was almost 2 full seconds slower than Thorpe. Almost an insurmountable gap to make up. He actually dropped an easier event in the 200 back (where he was virtually assured of a metal and is only a few tenths slower than Piersol), to race Thorpe. Pretty impressive.
And, I am tired of listening to Gary Hall. He is a great sprinter, but he is picking the wrong target. Does anyone really think that Phelps is not the at least the 4th fastest American in the 100 free? The times bore that out.
As with any sporting event, if you are going to post the result, why not be kind enough to indicate ‘Spoiler’ in your post? I know it’s hard to believe, but some people are working today and might want to watch TV tonight and not know the results. Just a thought, not a personal attack.
Keith
I apologize…I too am at work but have been so excited about this race that I didn’t even think about that…won’t happen again.
What did you expect when you clicked on this thread? It was created after the time of the race, so it’s no prediction thread… A little common sense people…
I correctly expected that it was a spoiler and that the poster forgot to include it. I personally didn’t care that it was a spoiler, but I know from past experience here that others might be annoyed. I wasn’t being selfish…quite the contrary…end of story.
Re-read the original post. It appears to have started as a prediction, then edited later to include the actual result.
gary hall should have been in the freestyle relay. he’s a sub 48 relay swimmer.
there was no way phelps was ever going to beat thorpe in 200 free.
And, I am tired of listening to Gary Hall. He is a great sprinter, but he is picking the wrong target. Does anyone really think that Phelps is not the at least the 4th fastest American in the 100 free? The times bore that out.
I am tired of listening to Gary Hall too but unfortunately, this time he’s right. I don’t think Phelps is one of the 4 fastest Americans in the 100 free. Even if he is, he should not have been swimming in the relay because he didn’t swim it at trials. We fill our individual event spots by taking the fastest people from trials. We should (and I suspect soon will) fill our relay spots the same way.
Gary’s prelim time suggested that he was the 3rd fastest American (48.73), with Phelps 4th at (48.74). So, the “mistake” if any, of course, was having Crocker in the relay instead of Hall. But even with that switch, and adjusting for flat vs. relay start, the US would have done 3:14 flat, still .8 slower than South Africa.
Incidentally, Phelps had the 2nd fastest 100m free of all Americans prior to the Olympics (and including trials), so it is pretty easy to think that Phelps’ inclusion created the highest probability of success. Hall, as the consumate sprinter and consumate competitor probably would have risen to the occasion and should have been included too.
Gary went 48.73 in prelims.