Coventry sets world record in 100m backstroke

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe broke the world record in the semifinals of the women's 100-metre backstroke at the Summer Olympics in Beijing on Monday morning.

Coventry covered the distance in 58.77 seconds, eclipsing the record of 58.97 set by Nathalie Coughlin of the United States at last month's Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb.

Coughlin won the first semifinal in 59.43, setting up a delicious showdown with Coventry in the final at Beijing's National Aquatics Centre.

Toronto's Julia Wilkinson, the Canadian record holder, failed to reach the final as she placed sixth behind Coughlin in one minute, 0.60 seconds.

"I don't really know what happened," she told CBC Sports.

Wilkinson shattered the Canadian mark of 1:01.93 — set by Calgary's Erin Gammel in 2005 — not once, but twice at the Olympic trials in Montreal, then lowered it to 1:00.38 in winning Sunday's heat at Beijing.
Trickett takes gold in 100m butterfly

Libby Trickett took the gold medal in the 100m butterfly in 56.73, narrowly missing out on Dutch sensation Inge De Bruijn's world and Olympic marks of 56.61.

"It is amazing," Trickett said. "Better than I could have every expected.

"It is my best time and an Olympic gold medal. That is more than I could have ever dreamed for."

Trickett's Australian teammate, Jessicah Schipper, settled for the bronze (57.43) behind silver medallist Christine Magnuson of the U.S. (57.10).

Trickett, who claimed the bronze in Sunday's 4x100 freestyle relay, is favoured to win the 50 and 100 freestyle — events in which she holds the world record.

Calgary's Jillian Tyler and Vancouver's Annamay Pierse both finished sixth in their respective 100m breaststroke semifinals.

Tyler (1:09.00) trailed winner Rebecca Soni of the U.S. by 1.93 seconds in the first semifinal, and Pierce (1:08.27) touched the wall 2.47 seconds behind victorious Leisel Jones of Australia in the second.

Neither Canadian qualified for the final.
Adlington wins 400m freestyle

Rebecca Adlington of Great Britain won the women's 400-metre freestyle final by 7-100ths of a second over American Katie Hoff.

Fellow Brit Joanne Jackson took the bronze.

Hoff looked to have the race won, but she touched the wall with a flat hand — a mistake that let Adlington win, literally, by a finger.

Adlington's winning time was 4:03.22 seconds, while Hoff clocked 4:03.29 and Jackson 4:03.52.

It marked Britain's first swimming gold since Anita Lonsborough won the 200m breaststroke at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

World and Olympic record holder Federica Pellegrini of Italy faded to fifth in 4:04.56.

Defending Olympic champion Laure Manaudou of France trailed the field in eighth (4:11.26).

Chen Yanqing Wins Gold In Women’s Weightlifting 58 Kilogram

Chen Yanqing of China won the gold medal in Women’s Weightlifting 58 kilogram, after lifting a total weight of 244kg. She led the Snatch by lifting 106kg, followed by Alexandra Escobar of Ecuador with 99kg and three other lifters who tied at 98kg. Chen moved on with a 138kg in the Clean and Snatch, and finally got the gold to her name.

Russia’s Marina Shainova, who lifted a total weight of 227kg, won the silver medal, while O Jong-ae of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea won the bronze with the total weight of 226kg. The amazing performance by Chen confirmed her unmatched status in this weight class. The 29-year old winner is the present world record holder for the Snatch and total weight. Already Chen Xiexia and Long Qingquan of China have won gold in their respective weightlifting categories. China is certainly going great, and has proved its dominance in the realm of weightlifting.