Sunday, August 10, 2008

10PM - LIVE Swimming Finals

We are back with LIVE BLOG coverage of the swimming finals that are happening now at the pool in the Water Cube. Remember to go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for continuous updates on Day 3 of competition. Four more finals to be contested today, including the men's 100m breaststroke.

11:41PM - Well, what more can I say other than the fact that I love sports and today's swimming competition was just another reason why. It'll be hard to top this kind of excitement and I have to say thank god NBC secured rights to have this thing shown live.

Thanks for joining us for our live blog. Go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for the latest updates on Day 3 of competition.

11:34PM - What an ending to the swimming competition on Day 3! There were so many stories coming into this race, among them the world record set by the United States in the preliminaries, the remarks said by Alain Bernard that France will crush the United States, and Michael Phelps's bid for eight gold medals. All of those stories came together in this one race and a new world record was just icing on the cake. This race will probably go down as one of the best races in swimming history, if not the best.

11:31PM - WORLD RECORD UPSET OF OLYMPIC PROPORTIONS! France was the overwhelming favorite coming into this race and they had a huge lead coming into the final 50 meters and the United States, thanks to Jason Lezak gives the United States A GOLD MEDAL WIN FOR THE AGES!

11:28PM - Also at stake here is Michael Phelps's gold medal collection. He is in the pool first for the United States as Australia has the lead after the first 100 meters.

11:26PM - How can you follow up the excitement of the last race? Well the Men's 4x100 meter freestyle relay can very well do so. France is the overwhelming favorite, BUT the United States did set a world record in the preliminaries earlier today. Only one of the four members of the U.S. team racing this morning was part of that world record setting team last night.

11:23PM - What a finish in the women's 400 freestyle. 4:03.22 is the winning time for Rebecca Adlington as Great Britain grabs its first swimming gold medal of these games. She just barely out touched Katie Hoff who looked like she was going to win it when she had the lead coming into the final 50 meters. What a comeback and surge from Adlington and what was supposed to be an American domination of the medals has so far turned into a very diverse distribution at the Water Cube.

11:13PM - Women's 400 meter freestyle final is coming up and it is loaded with stars. Federica Pellegrini is the favorite in this race after setting the Olympic record yesterday in Beijing. She is also the world record holder in this event, when she set it at the world championships earlier this year. American favorite Katie Hoff is hear, looking for her first gold medal of these games after receiving a bronze in yesterday's 400m IM.

11:08PM - Medal ceremony now for Kosuke Kitajima's win in the 100 meter breaststroke.

11:02PM - New Olympic record in this event, set by the Australian Hayden Stoeckl, as Peirson and Grevers finish in the top 3. Grevers finishes with the second top qualifying time and Britain will be hoping for a medal tomorrow as Liam Tancock has qualified for tomorrow's final also.

11PM - In the middle of the Men's 100m backstroke semifinals where American Aaron Peirson and his compatriot Matt Grevers are looking for a spot in the final.

10:35PM - Both Norway and Japan have something to celebrate about as action at the pool continues.

10:33PM - So much for the rivalry between Hansen and Kitajima. Instead, Kitajima and Oen may have a new found rivalry as they were tight together coming into the final 50 meters. Oen had the lead after the first half of the race but Kitajima scores the gold medal for Japan and it's done in world record time. Brendan Hansen, in his only individual event, is shut out of the medals.

10:30PM - Another big final coming up and its the men's 100m breaststroke. All of Japan is looking towards this event as Kosuke Kitajima looks for gold. Brendan Hansen is in this final and the rivalry could easily be entertaining in this final. The Olympic record holder from Norway Alexander Dale Oen is a big threat to both athletes.

10:27PM - First Australian gold medal of these Beijing Olympics is scored in the women's 100m butterfly. Libby Trickett led the entire way and her compatriot, Jessica Schipper wins bronze. Christine Magnunson, the young American swimmer, won a silver medal in her Olympic final debut. Looks like a great future ahead for her.

10:25PM - First final of the morning and the women's 100m butterfly is up next. Look out for the young swimmer from the United States, Magnunson, and two Australians here as well, including Trickett and Schipper.

10:21PM - Meichtry of Switzerland had the lead in this semifinal. But Vanderkaay surged to the front to win this semifinal heat. Phelps has another final tonight so no big deal for him to place third in this semifinal. Park advances to by placing second.

10:19PM - Heavy favorites in this semifinal including Park Tae-Hwan, also Peter Vanderkaay and Japanese swimmer Okamura here too. Besides Phelps of course.

10:14PM - So Michael Phelps will be making his first of two appearances this morning in the semifinals of the 200 meter freestyle. Meanwhile, South African swimmer Jean Bassoon finishes first in 1:46.13 in the first semifinal.

10:10PM - A new world record by Kirsty Coventry and it came by surprise. We don't really look at how fast they swim when it comes to the semifinal or preliminary heats. If Coventry is putting up a performance like this in the semifinal, just think of how she can perform tomorrow in the final. Coventry, 58.77 world record time, Margaret Hoelzer places third.

10:07PM - Kirsty Coventry is in this next semifinal and she beat Coughlin in the preliminary heats earlier today, though that wasn't the goal for either athlete during the preliminaries. American swimmer Margaret Hoelzer is in this semifinal as well.

10:04PM - And a very strong performance by Coughlin in her signature event. She got out very well and just looking at the replay, she was very close to the edge of her lane. Coughlin, Nakamura from Japan and Spofforth from Great Britain all swim under one minute.

10:01PM - Women's 100m Semifinals. This event broke many Olympic records last night (earlier this morning here in the U.S.) during the preliminaries. In this first semifinal, Natalie Coughlin, the reigning Olympic champion, tries for another Olympic final. She won silver with her teammates yesterday in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.

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