Swm: Lenton resurfaces for 50m freestyle

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2004
Swm: Lenton resurfaces for 50m freestyle

By Janelle Miles

ATHENS, Aug 20 AAP - Libby Lenton has resurfaced from her failure to make the Olympic
100m freestyle final by placing herself in a strong medal position for the 50m freestyle.

But she'll have to be at her best to have any chance of kicking defending champion
Inge de Bruijn off the top of the medal podium in Athens.

The Dutchwoman qualified fastest in tonight's semi-finals, clocking 24.56s, to take
lane four ahead of Lenton (24.90).

Fellow Australian Michelle Engelsman qualified fifth in 25.13.

Lenton won gold on the opening day of the swimming in Athens as part of the 4x100m
freestyle relay.

But she later failed to make the final of the individual 100m freestyle, despite going
into the event as the world recordholder.

The 19-year-old then had to watch as friend and teammate Jodie Henry broke her world
record and a day later take the 100m gold as the first Australian woman since Dawn Fraser
to win the two-lap event at Olympic level in four decades.

After the drama of the past few days, Lenton said she was relieved to make the 50m
final - the last women's individual event to be swum in Greece.

"After the past couple of days, it's been an emotional rollercoaster," she said.

"It's exactly what people said an Olympics are.

"I made goals for myself each round. In the heats to make the semis, in the semis to
make the final. Now I'm in there, it's anyone's race."

Lenton said she had tried to focus on the positives after missing the 100m final by just 0.09s.

"I've had a pretty good meet except for the 100 individual. I'm still coming away with
a gold medal at the Olympics which is pretty astounding for me so I just focussed on the
positives and reminded myself that I still have this wonderful opportunity to do something
(in the 50)."

Lenton won bronze behind de Bruijn and fellow Queenslander Alice Mills in the 50m freestyle
at the Barcelona world championships a year ago - her first major international meet.

De Bruijn, who turns 31 later this month, was the queen of the pool at the last Olympics
but the ageing swimmer has only managed minor medals so far in Athens.

She has a chance to rectify that in the one-lap sprint.

AAP jhm/sp

KEYWORD: OLY SWM LENTON (PIX AVAILABLE)

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