The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Eye-catching swimsuits herald our synchro team’s debut
- Dutch sprinters could dominate swim worlds
- Leader Voeckler dismisses his prospects of bagging Tour title
| Eye-catching swimsuits herald our synchro team’s debut Posted: 18 Jul 2011 06:33 PM PDT SHANGHAI: The "football theme" swimsuits worn by the Malaysian synchronised swimming team heralded their debut on the World Championships stage at the Oriental Sports Centre yesterday. The eight-member strong team of Lee Yhing Huey, Lee Zhien Huey, Emanuelle Mah, Tan May Mei, Mandy Yeap, Yeo Pei Ling, Shareen Png and Katrina Ann Hadi were not just decked in orange swimsuits with black stripes but with numbers sewn on their backs. And Malaysia's first participation in the team discipline provided good indications that they are on course to do well at the Palembang SEA Games later. Malaysia ended as the best ranked in the region after the technical display, chalking 72.700 points for 20th spot. They were ranked ahead of Thailand, who managed 67.400 to finish 21st while Indonesia and Singapore occupied 23rd and 24th spots respectively. Thailand, Singapore and hosts Indonesia are seen as Malaysia's biggest rivals as they have continued with the synchronised swimming programme despite it not being in the SEA Games roster for some time. The team discipline was not in the programme when the sport was last contested at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2001 and Malaysia looked on course to do well if the results are any indication. Chinese coach Long Yan, who handles the Bukit Jalil-based swimmers, said they had not participated in the discipline at a major stage for some time. "The last time we took part in the team event was at the Doha Asian Games five years ago. "We want to gauge where we stand, especially as the SEA Games will have synchronised swimming this time." Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Dutch sprinters could dominate swim worlds Posted: 18 Jul 2011 06:22 PM PDT SHANGHAI (AP) - While standout Brazilian sprinter Cesar Cielo waits for his status to be determined by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, one thing is certain for the women's signature events at the world swimming championships: the Dutch pose a serious threat. Ranomi Kromowidjojo, who has overcome a recent serious bout of meningitis, is among the favorites next week for the 50- and 100-meter freestyle races and along with Frederike Heemskerk, Inge Dekker and Marleen Velduis, the Flying Dutchwomen are undoubtedly the team to beat in the 400 freestyle relay. The same four women have won the relay at the last two major international meets - the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 worlds in Rome - when they also set the current world record. They're the latest in a long line of Dutch sprinting standouts, starting with the likes of Pieter van den Hoogenband and Inge de Bruijn - who won a combined 15 Olympic medals at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games. "We're long and tall people - maybe that's good for sprinting freestyle," Veldhuis said. The historic legacy also helps. "As a little child I was sitting in front of the TV watching Pieter and Inge de Bruijn," Kromowidjojo said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Now they're retired, but a few years ago I was training with them, so it was really nice and awesome to swim with your idols." The 20-year-old Kromowidjojo and Veldhuis, who is returning from a maternity leave, train together at the Pieter van den Hoogenband swim stadium in Eindhoven, and "VdH" still checks in on his former teammates from time to time. Dutch head coach Jacco Verhaeren is the link between old and new generations, having coached van den Hoogenband for 15 years. "In all club teams in the Netherlands the top event is 50 and 100 freestyle, so there's a lot of focus on it - maybe a little bit too much, to be honest," said Verhaeren, who would like to see his younger swimmers branch out into other events. In such a small country, however, it's difficult to excel in every discipline. "If we can choose, we choose 50 and 100 freestyle and the relays," Verhaeren said. Kromowidjojo is the Dutch team's budding star. She swept golds in the 50 and 100 free at the short-course worlds in Dubai in December for her first major international individual titles. However, Britta Steffen - the German who won the sprints in both Beijing and Rome - did not compete in Dubai, so it's difficult to pick favorites here. "It's a very close race - Therese Alshammar, Marleen Veldhius, Britta Steffen, me - so I don't see myself as the favorite and I don't think there is one favorite," Kromowidjojo said. Other top sprinters include Francesca Halsall of Britain, Jeanette Ottessen of Denmark, and Americans Natalie Coughlin and Jessica Hardy. Kromowidjojo's father is from Suriname and his grandparents came from Indonesia, but Ranomi was born and raised in the Netherlands. "She's a completely typical Dutch girl," Verhaeren said. She pronounces her name "just how you write it," as she likes to say. Kromowidjojo's victories in Dubai were all the more impressive considering that she was struck with meningitis midway through last year, forcing her out of the European championships in Budapest. "It was really serious, I was really ill," Kromowidjojo said. "I didn't swim for seven weeks, but after I recovered really fast and two, three months later we had Europeans (short-course) and I had four gold medals and four weeks later we had worlds (short-course). It was amazing." Meningitis is an infection of the lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and at one point Kromowidjojo was wondering if she would ever swim again. "Yes, everything is in your head. Maybe I cannot swim, maybe I cannot walk. You hear stories like people are deaf or cannot work anymore or nothing be the same as they were," she said. Fortunately for Kromowidjojo, the illness left her with no disabilities. It did, perhaps, give her more motivation. On her right wrist, Kromowidjojo has a tattoo featuring the Chinese character for water, the No. 1 and the letter K for her relay gold in Beijing. She'll be looking to add another tattoo in Shanghai - and lead her teammates to gold in the relay. Cielo hopes to have a chance to win gold here, too. The world title holder in the men's 50 and 100 freestyle, Cielo is awaiting a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing after testing positive to a banned diuretic, furosemide. Swimming's governing body FINA challenged a Brazilian federation decision to give Cielo and three teammates only a warning after testing positive in May. Cielo blamed his positive test on a contaminated batch of a food supplement he regularly used. The hearing will begin Wednesday in Shanghai. A decision is expected by Friday, two days before the Sunday start of the eight-day pool swimming program. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Leader Voeckler dismisses his prospects of bagging Tour title Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:38 PM PDT MONTPELLIER: Tour de France leader Thomas Voeckler (pic) continued to keep the hosts dreaming of a shock home triumph but said on Sunday he has "zero chance" of ending their 26-year wait for the yellow jersey. Europcar team leader Voeckler emerged from three tough days in the Pyrenees mountains with his 1:49 lead on Luxembourg's Frank Schleck intact. A handful of other, more fancied challengers are in Schleck's wake including Australian Cadel Evans (2:06), younger brother Andy (2:15) and Spain's reigning three-time champion Alberto Contador (4:00). Three days in the Alps, starting tomorrow, and the penultimate stage time trial on Saturday are set to decide the race. Voeckler, who famously spent 10 days in the lead in 2004 when he kept the yellow jersey, albeit temporarily, from Lance Armstrong, has won plenty of plaudits in recent days. Even Armstrong posted a Twittter message on Saturday which talked up the Frenchman's chances. But after Sunday's 15th stage, won by sprinter Mark Cavendish, Voeckler brushed off suggestions he could become the first home winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985. "There's a week of racing left and the Tour has been designed so that the race is decided in the final week," said Voeckler. "I'll give it everything, but I'm not going to lie and say I can win it. I really believe I have zero chance of winning the Tour de France. "It's not a question of not wanting to. Everybody would like to win the Tour. Since Bernard Hinault we're waiting for a (French) winner and since Richard Virenque a podium finisher. "It would be a great publicity stunt but I'm not going to go out and lie and say I'm the man to succeed them." Voeckler's biggest achievement in the race so far was defending his lead on stage 14 to Plateau de Beille, where the Schleck brothers took turns at testing their rivals with flurries of accelerations. The Frenchman was able to counter every time, but hinted that wearing the yellow jersey, which in the past has propelled unlikely champions to unexpected feats, has given him wings. "I was able to follow (the favourites) yesterday and for sure, I'd love to be able to follow them in the coming stages, but I really don't think I have what it takes to compete with them in the high mountains," he added. "For me, it's almost freakish that I was able to follow them." With Contador, the Schlecks and Evans expected to resume their yellow jersey battle in the Alps, Voeckler doesn't expect to benefit from ad hoc alliances. He is simply counting on his team – and his legs – to do the talking. "It's not like on the flat (stages) when you can get a bit of help (from other teams). In the mountains, that just doesn't exist. Your legs can either follow or they can't," he added, "The fact you're keeping up with the best climbers on the Tour gives you a lot of motivation. But I know the Alps are coming up, and I'm expecting some difficult moments." – AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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