London: American teenager Missy Franklin confirmed her arrival as the new queen of the pool when she broke the world record to win the 200 metres backstroke final on Friday and become the first triple gold medallist of the London Olympics.
The 17-year-old from Colorado led the four-lap race from start to finish to win in a time of two minutes 04.06 seconds, slashing three-quarters of a second off Kirsty Coventry's world record, which was set in a now banned polyurethane bodysuit.
Russia's Anastasia Zueva won the silver medal and America's Elizabeth Beisel the bronze but neither could keep up with the bubbly Franklin, who opened up a body's length over the field after just 75 metres.
Franklin, who won the 200 backstroke world title last year, became the first woman in 12 years to complete the backstroke double at the Olympics and the first American since Melissa Belote in 1972....
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12:52 AM, Aug 04, 2012
London: America's Tyler Clary won gold in a new Olympic record in the men's 200 meters backstroke here. Clary, the fastest qualifier for the final, clocked 1 minute, 53.41 seconds in a tight finish Thursday. "I stuck to my guns and I was able to come by in those last few 15 metres and get my hand on the wall," Clary said. "That was the perfect race I swam tonight,...
01:35 PM, Aug 03, 2012
