By Stephen J. Thomas
ATHENS, Greece. August 18. TEAM USA looks to be the favorite for tonight's final in the women's 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay after clocking 8:00.81 this morning, with Dana Vollmer and perhaps Natalie Coughlin coming onto the team to ensure the victory.
Great Britain, the nominal pre-meet favorite, was second fastest in 8:01.77, with Australia just behind in 8:01.85.
All three teams have in their sights the last remaining world record from the shameful East German era, the GDR's steroid-fueled 1987 mark of 7:55.47. But what seemed like almost a sure thing before the Games began, now looks to be an iffy proposition.
The Aussies will bring in Petria Thomas, but are very unlikely to call on sprinters Henry or Lenton given their 100 free semifinal commitments tonight and their inexperience over the four-laps.
Germany was next in 8:03.22 and it will have Buschschulte and perhaps van Almsick to call upon tonight.
Spain went 8:03.67 and China, the bronze medalists from Barcelona, went 8:05.38, giving them an outside chance for a medal this evening.
Australia's Shayne Reese had the fastest leadoff time, 2:00.13, while teammate Elka Graham's 1:58.83 was the only sub-1:59 relay split of the morning.
There were only five additional relay splits in the 1:59s: Sweden's josefin Lillhage, 1:59.19; the USA's Rachel Komisarz at 1:59.25; Britain's Melanie Marshall at 1:59.33; the USA's Carly Piper at 1:59.37; and China's Yang Yu at 1:59.91.
Women 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Heats
Record Splits NOC Location Date
WR 7:55.47
59.02
4:57.76
2:00.23
5:57.86
2:58.42
6:55.43
3:59.13
GDR Strasbourg (FRA) 18 AUG 1987
OR 7:57.80 28.21
4:27.09 58.78
4:56.86 1:29.65
5:27.72 1:59.92
5:58.45 2:27.61
6:25.63 2:57.98
6:55.76 3:29.12
7:26.87 3:59.11
USA Sydney (AUS) 20 SEP 2000
Final Event No: 24
Rank Heat Lane NOC Name R.T. 50m 100m 150m 200m Time Time
Behind
1 2 4 USA 8:00.81
BENKO Lindsay 0.77 28.54 58.64 1:29.76 2:00.73 2:00.73
JEFFREY Rhi 0.44 29.14 1:00.17 1:31.24 2:01.46 4:02.19
PIPER Carly 0.49 27.66 57.89 1:28.81 1:59.37 6:01.56
KOMISARZ Rachel 0.28 28.35 58.64 1:29.11 1:59.25 8:00.81
2 1 5 GBR 8:01.77 0.96
PICKERING Karen 0.74 28.44 58.76 1:29.62 2:00.90 2:00.90
JACKSON Joanne 0.11 27.95 58.48 1:29.97 2:00.89 4:01.79
McCLATCHEY Caitlin 0.20 27.86 58.82 1:30.02 2:00.65 6:02.44
MARSHALL Melanie 0.33 27.30 57.69 1:28.74 1:59.33 8:01.77
3 1 4 AUS 8:01.85 1.04
REESE Shayne 0.81 28.10 58.38 1:29.15 2:00.13 2:00.13
GRAHAM Elka 0.28 27.69 57.64 1:28.37 1:58.83 3:58.96
MACKENZIE Linda 0.37 28.20 59.08 1:30.03 2:00.55 5:59.51
ROONEY Giaan 0.35 28.82 59.95 1:31.16 2:02.34 8:01.85
4 1 2 GER 8:03.22 2.41
DALLMANN Petra 0.87 28.57 58.80 1:30.23 2:00.78 2:00.78
GOETZ Janina Kristin 0.45 28.29 58.59 1:29.67 2:00.87 4:01.65
STOCKBAUER Hannah 0.33 27.81 58.38 1:29.76 2:00.35 6:02.00
HARSTICK Sara 0.29 27.76 58.20 1:29.63 2:01.22 8:03.22
5 2 3 ESP 8:03.67 2.86
ROUBA Tatiana 0.85 28.84 59.13 1:30.15 2:00.80 2:00.80
CABALLERO Melissa 0.52 28.43 59.17 1:30.03 2:00.64 4:01.44
VILLAECIJA Erika 0.20 27.87 58.68 1:29.83 2:00.34 6:01.78
RAMOS Arantxa 0.38 29.03 59.77 1:31.04 2:01.89 8:03.67
6 2 5 CHN 8:05.38 4.57
ZHU Yingwen 0.79 28.29 58.79 1:30.03 2:00.89 2:00.89
LI Ji 0.55 28.82 59.44 1:30.77 2:01.68 4:02.57
YANG Yu 0.26 27.57 57.70 1:28.98 1:59.91 6:02.48
PANG Jiaying 0.33 28.13 59.75 1:31.25 2:02.90 8:05.38
7 1 1 BRA 8:05.58 4.77
MELO Joanna 0.72 28.95 59.60 1:30.59 2:01.38 2:01.38
FERREIRA Monique 0.31 28.18 58.71 1:30.01 2:01.40 4:02.78
BROCHADO Mariana 0.29 28.18 58.76 1:30.24 2:01.68 6:04.46
RIBEIRO Paula 0.34 28.51 59.44 1:30.35 2:01.12 8:05.58
8 1 3 SWE 8:07.17 6.36
MATTSSON Ida 0.84 28.56 59.00 1:30.77 2:02.46 2:02.46
LILLHAGE Josefin 0.33 27.74 57.58 1:28.38 1:59.19 4:01.65
WANBERG Lotta 0.41 28.67 59.40 1:30.98 2:02.85 6:04.50
SJOBERG Johanna 0.07 27.52 58.36 1:30.44 2:02.67 8:07.17
9 2 6 NED 8:08.96 8.15
LEMMEN Celina 0.81 28.74 59.50 1:30.70 2:02.21 2:02.21
van STRALEN Haike 0.29 28.26 59.19 1:30.71 2:01.80 4:04.01
GROOT Chantal 0.36 27.53 58.17 1:30.77 2:02.87 6:06.88
VELDHUIS Marleen 0.29 28.50 59.62 1:30.70 2:02.08 8:08.96
10 1 6 FRA 8:09.42 8.61
COUDERC Celine 0.86 28.56 59.02 1:30.57 2:02.50 2:02.50
N GUESSAN Elsa 0.40 29.23 1:00.98 1:32.55 2:03.26 4:05.76
QUELENNEC Katarin 0.36 29.30 1:00.26 1:32.02 2:03.56 6:09.32
FIGUES Solenne 0.33 28.67 59.27 1:29.99 2:00.10 8:09.42
11 2 2 ROM 8:09.67 8.86
PADURARU Simona 0.80 28.77 59.12 1:30.10 2:00.97 2:00.97
LACUSTA Larisa 0.55 28.52 59.97 1:31.71 2:03.80 4:04.77
CASLARU Beatrice 0.63 28.91 1:00.21 1:32.43 2:04.20 6:08.97
POTEC Camelia 0.47 28.05 58.75 1:29.73 2:00.70 8:09.67
12 2 7 SUI 8:10.41 9.60
STRASSER Chantal 0.94 29.07 59.73 1:31.40 2:02.90 2:02.90
MILUSKA Hanna 0.05 27.87 58.86 1:30.91 2:02.75 4:05.65
ZAHND Nicole 0.13 28.12 58.81 1:29.89 2:01.60 6:07.25
RIGAMONTI Flavia 0.22 28.75 1:00.09 1:31.95 2:03.16 8:10.41
13 2 1 NZL 8:14.76 13.95
NORFOLK Helen 0.73 29.11 59.21 1:30.30 2:01.89 2:01.89
FITCH Alison 0.37 28.05 59.15 1:30.32 2:00.70 4:02.59
LINTON Rebecca 0.32 28.45 59.71 1:32.09 2:05.17 6:07.76
BERNARD Nathalie 0.26 28.61 59.79 1:32.69 2:07.00 8:14.76
14 1 7 ITA 8:15.30 14.49
FILIPPI Alessia 0.96 29.37 1:00.41 1:32.17 2:04.09 2:04.09
PARISE Sara 0.35 28.82 59.92 1:31.63 2:03.69 4:07.78
VIANINI Cecilia 0.27 28.65 1:00.22 1:31.84 2:03.52 6:11.30
CHIUSO Cristina 0.37 28.67 1:00.48 1:32.61 2:04.00 8:15.30
15 1 8 GRE 8:16.69 15.88
DIMOSCHAKI Zoi 0.83 29.65 1:00.40 1:31.68 2:02.33 2:02.33
LYMPERTA Marianna 0.53 29.34 1:00.15 1:31.63 2:02.71 4:05.04
TSAGKA Evangelia 0.41 29.31 1:00.67 1:33.18 2:05.99 6:11.03
MANOLI Georgia 0.23 29.01 1:00.84 1:33.13 2:05.66 8:16.69
16 2 8 SLO 8:16.89 16.08
ISAKOVIC Sara 0.86 29.13 59.95 1:31.04 2:01.82 2:01.82
KLINAR Anja 0.20 28.88 1:00.25 1:31.94 2:03.44 4:05.26
CARMAN Anja 0.18 28.75 59.98 1:31.69 2:03.19 6:08.45
BABIC Lavra 0.40 29.41 1:01.69 1:34.72 2:08.44 8:16.89
———————————————————————–
Legend
WR – World Record, =WR – Equalled World Record, OR – Olympic Record, =OR – Equalled Olympic Record
AF – African Record, =AF – Equalled African Record, AM – American Record, =AM – Equalled American Record
AS – Asian Record, =AS – Equalled Asian Record, EU – European Record, =EU – Equalled European Record
OC – Oceania Record, =OC – Equalled Oceania Record
R.T. – Reaction Time, DSQ – Disqualified, DNF – Did Not Finish, DNS – Did Not Start