By Stephen J. Thomas
ATHENS, August 14. THE Aussie women qualified fastest for the final of the 400 free relay tonight, clocking 3:38.26 — just 2.26 seconds outside the world mark held by the German team.
The Aussies were 1.20 seconds in front of their American rivals but the girls from Down Under will have less additional firepower to bring in to the final than the Americans and Germans.
The Aussies may replace their slowest member, veteran Sarah Ryan, with Petria Thomas, their star performer in the fly this morning. However, I will be very surprised if these girls, including world record-holder Libby Lenton (pictured), will go significantly faster tonight.
The Yanks will have Kara Lyn Joyce, Nat Coughlin and Jenny Thompson to call on and may well drop team co-captain Lindsay Benko and keep Amanda Weir, who went 54.50 off the blocks this morning.
The Dutch were third this morning (3:39.93) and will call on former world record-holder Inge de Bruijn to strengthen their team, while the Germans have their star player, Franzi van Almsick, and probably the very experienced Sandra Volker tonight.
The medals should come from these teams unless someones slips up. It should be a great race.
This morning's splits:
AUSTRALIA
54.77 Mills
54.48 Lenton
54.97 Ryan
54.04 Henry
3:38.26
USA
54.50 Weir
55.42 Lanne
54.80 Benko
54.74 Correia
3:39.46
Women 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Heats
Record Splits NOC Location Date
WR 3:36.00 54.82 1:48.77 2:42.36 3:36.00 GER Berlin (GER) 29 JUL 2002
OR 3:36.61 55.08 1:48.59 2:42.99 3:36.61 USA Sydney (AUS) 16 SEP 2000
Final Event No: 6
Rank Heat Lane NOC Name R.T. 50m 100m Time Time
Behind
f 1 2 5 AUS 3:38.26 OC
MILLS Alice 0.73 26.54 54.77 54.77
LENTON Lisbeth 0.27 26.13 54.48 1:49.25
RYAN Sarah 0.19 26.42 54.97 2:44.22
HENRY Jodie 0.40 26.24 54.04 3:38.26
f 2 2 4 USA 3:39.46 1.20
WEIR Amanda 0.75 26.86 54.50 54.50
LANNE Colleen 0.39 26.28 55.42 1:49.92
BENKO Lindsay 0.28 26.37 54.80 2:44.72
CORREIA Maritza 0.39 26.30 54.74 3:39.46
f 3 2 3 NED 3:39.93 1.67
DEKKER Inge 0.99 27.04 55.56 55.56
KOSTEN Annabel 0.13 26.15 55.24 1:50.80
VELDHUIS Marleen 0.18 25.95 54.61 2:45.41
GROOT Chantal 0.23 25.99 54.52 3:39.93
f 4 1 4 GER 3:41.19 2.93
DALLMANN Petra 0.88 27.07 55.49 55.49
STEFFEN Britta 0.34 26.88 56.31 1:51.80
GOTZ Daniela 0.20 26.65 55.04 2:46.84
BUSCHSCHULTE Antje 0.21 26.22 54.35 3:41.19
f 5 2 6 SWE 3:41.51 3.25
LILLHAGE Josefin 0.88 27.21 55.72 55.72
CARLZON Cathrin 0.24 26.45 56.05 1:51.77
ALSHAMMAR Therese 0.29 26.06 54.33 2:46.10
SJOBERG Johanna 0.27 26.16 55.41 3:41.51
f 6 1 3 GBR 3:41.96 3.70
SHEPPARD Alison 0.82 27.38 56.35 56.35
EVANS Kathryn 0.26 26.44 55.21 1:51.56
PICKERING Karen 0.20 27.03 55.57 2:47.13
MARSHALL Melanie 0.16 25.98 54.83 3:41.96
f 7 1 5 FRA 3:42.42 4.16
FIGUES Solenne 0.86 27.29 55.61 55.61
COUDERC Celine 0.35 26.77 55.84 1:51.45
MONGEL Aurore 0.18 27.37 56.25 2:47.70
METELLA Malia 0.36 26.52 54.72 3:42.42
f 8 1 6 CHN 3:42.84 4.58
CHENG Jiaru 0.83 27.15 56.14 56.14
XU Yanwei 0.41 26.65 55.43 1:51.57
ZHU Yingwen 0.24 26.68 55.08 2:46.65
YANG Yu 0.26 26.45 56.19 3:42.84
f 9 1 7 KOR 3:44.84 6.58
SUN So-Eun 0.78 27.26 56.86 56.86
RYU Yoon-Ji 0.26 26.16 55.24 1:52.10
SHIM Min-Ji 0.34 27.56 56.91 2:49.01
KIM Hyun-Ju 0.31 26.89 55.83 3:44.84
f 10 1 2 ITA 3:44.88 6.62
VIANINI Cecilia 0.83 27.44 56.53 56.53
CHIUSO Cristina 0.26 26.66 56.33 1:52.86
PARISE Sara 0.38 27.26 57.38 2:50.24
PELLEGRINI Federica 0.09 25.98 54.64 3:44.88
f 11 2 2 BLR 3:45.38 7.12
SHCHERBA Hanna 0.73 26.91 56.10 56.10
SHCHERBA Maryia 0.15 26.98 56.78 1:52.88
NIAFEDAVA Iryna 0.21 26.73 56.46 2:49.34
KHAKHLOVA Sviatlana 0.45 26.58 56.04 3:45.38
f 11 2 7 BRA 3:45.38 7.12
GUSMAO Rebeca 0.70 27.06 56.56 56.56
LIMA Tatiana 0.22 26.83 56.67 1:53.23
BURGOS Renata 0.37 26.55 56.32 2:49.55
CAZZIOLATO Flavia 0.14 25.76 55.83 3:45.38
f 13 1 8 CZE 3:46.83 8.57
MYSKOVA Jana 0.89 27.00 56.02 56.02
KLOSOVA Petra 0.40 26.63 56.49 1:52.51
HLAVACKOVA Ilona 0.35 26.95 56.42 2:48.93
KAZIKOVA Sandra 0.29 26.97 57.90 3:46.83
f 14 1 1 ESP 3:47.47 9.21
ROUBA Tatiana 0.85 27.62 56.41 56.41
PALOMO Ana Belen 0.24 27.02 56.64 1:53.05
ROCA Laura 0.26 27.65 56.83 2:49.88
CABALLERO Melissa 0.51 27.98 57.59 3:47.47
f 15 2 8 SUI 3:48.61 10.35
DIEZI Dominique 0.80 26.95 56.78 56.78
SAGNE Marjorie 0.13 26.69 57.17 1:53.95
PRUENTE Seraina 0.15 27.34 58.16 2:52.11
ZAHND Nicole 0.16 27.03 56.50 3:48.61
2 1 GRE DSQ
NIANGKOUARA Nery Mantey 0.79 26.74 55.79 55.79
DIMOSCHAKI Zoi 0.10 27.13 56.09 1:51.88
MATSA Martha -0.06
KOSTI Eleni