Sun smashes world record
China’s Sun Yang smashed his own world record to win the men’s 1500 metres freestyle on Saturday and complete the long-distance double at the London Olympics.
Sun followed up his win in the 400 freestyle on the opening day of competition to win the gruelling 30-lap race in a time of 14 minutes 31.02 seconds, slashing more than three seconds off the previous world record of 14:34.14 he set at last year’s world championship in Shanghai.
Canada’s Ryan Cochrane took the silver medal in 14:39.63 while Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli, the Beijing Olympic champion, collected the bronze in 14:40.31. South Korea’s Park Tae-hwan, silver medallist in the 400, came fourth as the first seven finishers all broke the magical 15-minute barrier.
There was high drama before the start when Sun lost his balance and tumbled into the water after an official aborted the start when someone in the crowd yelled out.
Swimmers receive an automatic disqualification for false starts but Sun was allowed to compete because the official starter had told the swimmers to stand up from their crouching position because of the noise in the crowd.
When the race did get away, Sun regained his composure and went straight to the lead, churning through the water with seemingly effortless ease, and brought the crowd to their feet when he sprinted the last lap looking as fresh as when he began. Sun has been one of the outstanding swimmers in London, winning two gold and two silver medals. Just six other men have completed the Olympic 400-1500 double with Russia’s Vladimir Salnikov the last to achieve the feat, 32 years ago, in 1980.
Meanwhile, Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won the women’s 50 metres freestyle to complete the sprint double. Following on from her blistering win in the 100 on Thursday, Kromowidjojo exploded off the blocks and charged through the single-lap race to win the gold in a time of 24.05 seconds, a new Olympic record. Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus, the silver medallist behind Kromowidjojo in the 100, took the silver in 24.28.
Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands grabbed the bronze in 24.39. Germany’s Britta Steffen, the defending Olympic champion and world record holder, was fourth.
Kromowidjojo became the first Dutchwoman to win both freestyle sprints since Inge de Bruijn at Sydney in 2000.
Later in the day, the United States won the women’s 4x100 metres medley relay in a world record time on Saturday.
The US quartet of Missy Franklin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer and Allison Schmitt clocked three minutes 52.05 seconds to break the 3:52.19 set by China at the 2009 world championships in Rome to win gold ahead of Australia who won the silver, while Japan clinched bronze.
Results: Men: 1500M freestyle: Sun Yang (China) 14:31.02. World Record (Old: 14:34.14, Sun Yang, 2011 Shanghai World championships) 1; Ryan Cochrane (Canada) 14:39.63, 2; Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia) 14:40.31, 3. Women: 50M freestyle: Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands) 24.05 seconds. Olympic Record, 1; Aliaksandra Herasimenia (Belarus) 24.28, 2; Marleen Veldhuis (Netherlands) 24.39, 3.
