Oly: Phelps helps US overtake Australia on medal table

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2004
Oly: Phelps helps US overtake Australia on medal table

Repeating, restoring dropped word in sixth par

By Sharon Labi

ATHENS, Aug 17 AAP - The United States struck back to restrict Ian Thorpe and Australia
to one solitary silver medal on day four of the Olympics.

Australia's worst day at the Games so far saw the nation slip to third place on the
overall medal tally after being overtaken by the US.

Michael Phelps and the Americans ended Australia's domination of the men's 4x200m freestyle
event, denying Ian Thorpe another gold and fuelling the rivalry between the two swim teams.

Thorpe, together with teammates Grant Hackett, Michael Klim and Nicholas Sprenger,
had to settle for silver.

The relay win gave Phelps his third gold of the Games, one more than Thorpe. Earlier
tonight the American triumphed in the men's 200m butterfly.

Phelps's night of glory gave the US its fifth swimming gold medal, one more than the
Australians, powering the Americans into second place on the overall medal table.

China tonight led the medal tally with 10 gold.

Thorpe's hopes for a clean sweep of the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle also took a dive
today after he qualified slowest for tomorrow's 100m final.

Thorpe may have hoped for a third Athens gold in the relay tonight, but he had too
much to make up on the final leg to clinch the win.

The 21-year-old swam the second fastest relay split in history but still couldn't pull
the Americans in.

"It's a disappointing result," Thorpe said.

"It was so close and yet so far. It was a good job, not a great job."

Phelps held two clenched fists to the crowd as the Americans celebrated after the race,
while the Australians stood with heads bowed and arms crossed.

In a mixed day for the Aussies at the tennis, medal contenders Todd Woodbridge and
Wayne Arthurs were bundled out of the men's doubles, losing their second-round match to
Germans Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler.

However Alicia Molik's twin medal assault gathered pace when she won her singles and
doubles matches.

And Nicole Pratt will play world No.1 Justine Henin-Hardenne after overcoming Italian
Tathiana Garbin.

In team sports the volleyball team went down to Russia and the men's water polo team
lost to Italy.

Other teams delivered more promising results. The softballers and baseballers both
beat Italy, and the basketballers defeated Angola.

The Hockeyroos drew 2-2 with Argentina and the Matildas drew 1-1 with the United States
in the soccer.

In the men's soccer, the Olyroos are through to the quarter-finals of the Olympic football
tournament for the first time since 1992 despite a 1-0 loss to Argentina tonight.

At the Panathinaiko Stadium, world junior champion Tim Cuddihy kept Australia's hopes
of a medal alive in the archery by making it to the final eight.

Thirteen gold medals are up for grabs tomorrow with Australians a strong chance in
the cycling time trials, the equestrian events and in the 200m butterfly, where Petria
Thomas will be going for her third gold of the Games.

The climax of the swimming will be Thorpe's tilt at the 100m freestyle against Dutch
rival Pieter van den Hoogenband and South African Roeland Shoeman.

It promises to be quite a night.

AAP sal/sp

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