By John Lohn
BEIJING, China, August 10. WHEN Matt Grevers qualified for the Beijing Olympics at the U.S. Trials last month, he joked about his parents celebrating in a big way. How do you think they reacted to an Olympic record from their son? Opening his Olympic program, the Northwestern product led qualifying in the 100 backstroke with a time of 53.41. That effort broke Aaron Peirsol's Games record of 53.45 from Athens.
Much work remains for Grevers and the rest of a stacked field, but it was a good start. Grevers was followed in second by Russian Arkady Vyatchanin, a longtime staple on the international scene who was timed in 53.64. The third spot went to Peirsol in 53.65. The reigning Olympic champ and world-record holder looked easy in his Beijing debut.
Also breaking the 54-second barrier during the evening session were Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer (53.67), South Africa's Gerhard Zandberg (53.75), Great Britain's Liam Tancock (53.85) and Australian Hayden Stoeckel (53.93). Slovakia's Lubos Krizko (54.07) and Aussie Ashley Delaney (54.08) were eighth and ninth.
The semifinal field will also feature Japan's Junichi Miyashita (54.12), Russia's Stanislav Donets (54.18), Japan's Tomomi Morita (54.21), Austria's Markus Rogan (54.22), Italy's Marco DiTora (54.39), Israel's Gy Barnea (54.50) and Great Britain's Gregor Tait (54.62). Rogan was the silver medalist in Athens with Morita taking the bronze.
