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Ukraine Olympic Champion Snatches Second Title at Universiade
Ukraine Olympic and world champion Yana Klochkova claimed her second gold medal in the women's 200 meters individual medley while gave up another final at the 21st World University Games in Beijing on Saturday.
Klochkova, double titlist at Sydney Olympic Games in 200 and 400m medley, placed second after 100 meters but surged back to finish breaststroke first and stormed home in two minutes 14.13 seconds, a new Universiade record.
Tomoko Hagiwara of Japan won a silver medal in 2:15.11 after led the way for the first half of the event. Chinese Liang Shuang finished third in 2:15.76.
"I am satisfied with my results tonight. I have a cold and my throat is hurting. So I have to give up my 400m freestyle," Klochkova said.
The 19-year-old, who swept titles in women's 400 meters medley and 400m freestyle at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan last month, swam eighth in 400m freestyle heats and quit the final while her teammate Olena Lapunova, who placed ninth after her in the morning's heats, entered the final and finished the last.
Alina Petec Camelia from Romania won a clear-cut 400m freestyle in four minutes 11.41, ahead of Rachel Komisarz of the United States in 4:12.26 and Sachiko Yamada of Japan 4:13.01.
Host China won its first swimming gold at the Games when Xu Shan dominated in the women's 100m breaststroke in 1:09.45 while her teammate Zhang Yi took silver in 1:10.16.
Xu, runner-up in the 100m breaststroke at Bangkok Asian Games in 1998, said, "It is a pleasure to win the first gold for China. It is my career best, improving my previous result by 0.55 seconds."
Americans also won a one-two finish in the women's 50 meters butterfly as Bethany Goldwin, in lane 4, scored a meet record in 27.18, which was also her personal beat, with her teammate Rachel Komisarz second in 27.26. Chinese Zheng Xi took the bronze in 27. 37.
Sydney Olympic Games silver medalist Mai Nakamura of Japan met no challenge to take the crown in women's 100m backstroke in 1:01. 45, beating Susan Woessner of the United States into second at 1: 02.48 and Ilona Hlavackova from the Czech Republic third 1:02.88.
Frenchman Barnier Romain sprinted home for the men's 100m freestyle title in 49.39 seconds, beating Poland's B. Kizierowski in 49.65 and Ukraine's Vyacheslav Shyrshov 49.81, respectively.
Britain won a hard fight in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay with a time of 3:20.18, edging the United States and France into second and third while Ukraine was disqualified after they finished third at the wall.
The Britons said:"We are very excited that we break the national record. We are better than the team who competed in Sydney Olympic Games."
In the semifinals, British Adam Whitehead clocked 28.42 in men's 50m breaststroke in a meet record and Ukraine's Olga Mukomol swam fastest in women's 50m freestyle in 25.76.
American Peter Marshall, winner in 100 meters, took the lead into men's 50m backstroke in 25.81 while his teammate Kevin Clements headed the men's 200m individual medley in 2:02.43, 0.14 seconds shy of the meet record.
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