Germany's Britta Steffen clinches women's 100m freestyle gold
15/8/2008 17:09
German swimmer Britta Steffen finished a surprising touchdown first and
won her home country the eighth gold at the Beijing Olympics in the women's
100-meter freestyle today.
Steffen stole the spotlight from world record
holder Lisbeth Trickett from Australia as photographers were ready to focus on
the Aussie to celebrate her second gold in Beijing,
The German girl also
bettered the Olympic record she wrote five days ago from 53.38 to 53.12
seconds.
After narrowly squeaking into the final, the former world-record
holder in the event, Steffen was seemed to be a forgotten athlete, sitting in
eighth place and out of the medal race. Steffen finished the first 50m in the
last but then managed a magic surpass by arriving on the strength of a back-half
split of 27.08, 0.79s faster than anyone else in the pool.
"That was the
moment when I didn't know what had happened at the other side of me... It's a
super race. Even if I hadn't got a medal it would be fine,"Steffen told
reporters at a press conference after the race.
She said she went to the race
without feeling much pressure and only thought about having a great race for
herself.
"I wasn't counting for a medal. Sometimes it's better to have that
attitude and there is something from what you've expected", the 25-year-old
said.
Australian Lisbeth Trickett, who still holds world record of 52. 88,
was edged by Steffen with 0.04 second. She hugged her German rival across the
lane divider as Steffen, in an apparent emotional mood, fought to hold her tears
back.
"Congratulations. Britta is a wonderful person and a fantastic
competitor. Full credit to her. She kept driving through the wall," Trickett
said in the mixed zone, admitting that she was disappointed with her performance
today.
"Honestly, after the race, yes. I don't know what or how or why, but
someone was looking after me. In Athens (2004 Olympic Games) I didn't get
another chance."
"I'm human, I make mistakes, I do things wrong. But I gave
it my best," the silverist said.
American veteran Natalie Coughlin earned her
second bronze in the Beijing Games and equaled her American record with a time
of 53. 39.
The 27-year-old Chinese veteran swimmer Zhu Yingwen, who is
suffering a knee injury, finished at 54.21, the 6th.
Xinhua
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