Trickett ready to strut her stuff in 100 final
FOR Libby Trickett, it wasn’t like it was four years ago when
she instantly became the face of the Olympic trials, but you get a
feeling that when she gets dressed for success tonight, it might be
her turn to grab the spotlight and join the record-breakers.
At the 2004 Olympic trials, it was on 100 metres freestyle
semi-final night that Trickett %26#151; then Lenton %26#151; stunned
all by breaking Inge de Bruijn’s world record. The same semis came
and went last night and while there was no record, the indicators
are that in tonight’s final, Trickett can create another piece of
history.
Trickett was second-fastest from the semi-finals, with
15-year-old Cate Campbell swimming a personal-best 54.37 seconds to
claim lane four tonight. Trickett was next best in 54.43, way shy
of her official personal-best of 53.40, and even further from the
unofficial best of 52.99 she swam when racing Michael Phelps at the
Duel in the Pool last April.
In the 200 butterfly, not even a swimsuit full of water was
going to stop Jess Schipper, who was on world-record pace for 150
metres before winning in two minutes 6.82 seconds, ahead of
17-year-old Samantha Hamill (2:07.61), who becomes a first-time
Olympian. Leisel Jones gets her shot at a record tonight when she
lines up as the fastest qualifier for the 200 breaststroke
final.
