Americans round off in style

By Our Special Correspondent

SYDNEY, SEPT. 23. The sentimental favourite did not win in the end; the experts' favourite obliged. The whole of Australia must have been watching just one event in these Olympics - the 1500m freestyle - as the swimming championships came to a close at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre here on Saturday.

Grant Hackett won the 1500, Kieren Perkins had the silver. This was how it was forecast all along. But, during the past week, Hackett had not shown the kind of fire in his belly that could suggest that he was indeed ready to ascend the throne. Slowly but steadily Perkins was brought back into the calculations, for an unprecedented third Olympic gold on the trot in an event which the Aussies consider their own.

Hackett, given a pep talk by 1956 Olympics gold medal winner Murray Rose the other day, looked determined to banish the blues that had struck him the past few days. He had looked a little listless while competing in shorter events, raising speculation whether he was ill. He, on the other hand, had always indicated that the shorter events were just warm-ups for the 1500.

``I can't explain it right now,'' said Hackett who moments earlier had pointed towards his parents as he completed a comfortable victory in 14:48.33, with Perkins home in 14:53.59 for the silver. Throughout the gruelling race, Hackett kept a lead of about two seconds over his more experienced rival and team-mate, but by the 1200m mark he had stretched it to about four seconds.

The medley relays in either section brought in world records by the United States which amassed 14 gold medals to Australia's five. The total U.S. collection was 33, the Australians had 18. It was as lop-sided a contest as it had always been.

The difference this time was the presence of a bunch of Aussie youngsters who at home were expected to snatch at least eight gold medals. Once Ian Thorpe was beaten in the 200m freestyle by the Dutch express, Pieter van den Hoogenband, the Aussie morale slumped.

Dara Torres, making her comeback to Olympics at the ripe age of 33, signed off in style as she anchored the U.S. medley team to the gold and the world record. It was 3:58.30 for the quartet comprising Barbara Bedford, Megan Quann and Jenny Thompson, apart from Dara Torres. Thompson has her eighth Olympic gold now, all in relays, some sort of a record.

Gary Hall Jr anchored the U.S. men's team to a 3:33.73 for a world record. Ed Moses, Ian Crocker and Lenny Krayzelburg were the other members of the team that bettered the 3:34.84 the U.S. team had set at Atlanta in 1996.

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