With just one year to go for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, most of the world young talented swimmers are taking the 2007 Bangkok University Games as an Olympic trial or practice run.
Led by Olympic gold-medalist Kaitlin Sandeno, who won the women 's 4x200m freestyle relay event in the 2004 Athens Games, the United States pitched a 43-member swimming team to Bangkok.
The U.S. topped the swimming medal table two years ago in Izmir, Turkey, with 11 gold, nine silver and five bronze medals.
Sandeno is accompanied by Olympian Kristen Caverly and several members of the U.S. National B team to defend the No. 1 position in the pool.
"The World University Games, in many ways, will be a repeat of the World Championships in which many countries are sending their best swimmers," said Mark Schubert, USA Swimming National Team head coach and general manager.
"This event in our sport has improved in competitiveness every year. For our athletes, this will be a good preparation for Beijing (Olympics) because they will be traveling to Asia and facing similar conditions as Beijing."
Alice Mills, who won the women's 4x100m free relay in the Athens Games, heralded Australia, which had no medal in pocket at Izmir, to make up the absence of world-record holder Leisel Jones and Libby Lendon.
"Most of our first-team swimmers have to prepare for the Japanese Internationals starting on Aug. 21. Other athletes like Lenton and Jones might have been here for the competition," head coach Leigh Nugent said.
Olympian Michelle Engelsman will race in women's 50m and 100m freestyle, while Grand Brits, who won silver in 4x200m free at 2007 FINA World Championships, is aiming for gold medals in the men's 50m and 200m backstroke and will also compete in the 200m freestyle.
Japan, which collected five gold, six silver and nine bronze medals in Izmir, sent a team composed of half of its top ten women 's swimmers to Bangkok.
A total of 17 members of the Japanese Universiade team will join the national team for the internationals on Aug. 21.
China, who planned to send four or five members of the national team to Bangkok, had to see two star athletes, Zhou Yafei and Yang Yu, missing the competition for injuries.
Olympians Xu Yanwei, Zhu Yingwen and Pang Jiaying gave boost to the women's team, who vowed to surpass the two-gold and two-bronze results from the last version of the tournament.
The Universiade swimming competition will start on Thursday at the Aquatic Center Stadium.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article