SWIMMING: COUGHLIN SHOWS OLD FORM.Byline: ERIK BOAL Special to the Daily News LONG BEACH -- Although she was a three-time NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association swimming champion in the women's 100- and 200-yard backstrokes and 100 butterfly, Natalie Coughlin Natalie Anne Coughlin (born August 23, 1982 in Vallejo, California) is a United States swimmer and represented the United States at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she won two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze. made the 100 freestyle her personal showcase during her career at California, besting the American short-course record three times. In her first competition in the Olympic pool at Belmont Plaza since the 2004 Pacific-10 Conference The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I. Membership Full members championships, Coughlin recaptured some of her old magic Saturday, nearly lowering the record again with her victory in 47.03seconds, highlighting an impressive night of competition at the Long Beach Grand Prix
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is the premier circuit in the Champ Car World Series. It is an open-wheel race held on a temporary road course in Long Beach, California. . ``I'm not surprised (with the time), but I was definitely very happy,'' said Coughlin, who dropped her mark to 47seconds at the 2003 NCAA Championships leading off Cal's 400freestyle relay. ``And I definitely think I could go faster. To drop 2seconds from morning (prelims) to night is very encouraging. The race was more put-together.'' Club Wolverine wolverine or glutton, largest member of the weasel family, Gulo gulo, found in the northern parts of North America and Eurasia, usually in high mountains near the timberline or in tundra. teammates Michael Phelps For the American biophysicist, see . Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer and World Record Holder in several events. and Kaitlin Sandeno Kaitlin Shea Sandeno (born March 13, 1983 in Mission Viejo, California) is an American swimmer, and was part of the team that set the world record in the 4x200 m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics. each won two events Saturday, but it was Coughlin, the U.S. short-course record-holder in six events, who came the closest to challenging an American or U.S. Open The term U.S. Open is applied to "open" United States national championships in a particular sport, in which anybody, amateur or professional, American or non-American may compete. These include:
Sandeno, a 2001 El Toro of Lake Forest graduate and former USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. standout, added to Friday's victory in the 1,000freestyle with her wins in the 200butterfly (1:54.74) and 500freestyle (4:42.13). After setting a personal best of 4:52.24 in the morning prelims, La Reina of Thousand Oaks senior Emily Bibb bibb n. 1. Nautical A bracket on the mast of a ship to support the trestletrees. 2. A bibcock. [Alteration of bib.] took seventh in the 500free (4:55.60). Competition was halted briefly following the event when Oregon State's Courtney Eads, a Glendora graduate who took sixth in the 200fly, had to be pulled from the pool and placed on a stretcher by lifeguards after stopping during the middle of the race, twitching and beginning to slip underwater. Paramedics later confirmed Eads was breathing comfortably and left Belmont Plaza on her own. In addition to Sandeno's victory, the 200butterfly had plenty of Southern California flavor, with UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX standout Kim Vandenberg -- the reigning national long-course meters champion in the event -- finishing second (1:57.46) and Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta sophomore Yumi So taking third in a personal-best 1:59.48. ``I think it's a pretty good time for right now,'' said Vandenberg, who is serving as an undergraduate assistant for the Bruins. ``I definitely have a lot to work on. It was good competition to race (Kaitlin). It will just make me better.'' So, who also placed 17th in the backstroke (2:02.39), said: ``I was just trying to stay up with them. I'm better on the back half more than the front half.'' Phelps bookended the meet with wins in the 100 and 500freestyles, clocking a personal-best 42.43 in the former to hold off a field that included fellow Olympians Ian Crocker (42.88), Jason Lezak (42.92) and Neil Walker (43.57). ``I saw Jason and Crocker coming off the last (turn), and I tried to get to the wall as fast as I could,'' Phelps said. ``I wanted to try to stay underwater as long as I could to pick up speed and momentum.'' Phelps had no problem setting an impressive pace in the 500, leading from wire to wire en route to posting his second-fastest time of 4:14.57, beating reigning American short-course record-holder and Club Wolverine teammate Peter Vanderkaay (4:22.31). La Canada junior Ian Mirisola was 14th in the 200backstroke (1:52.71). C.V. senior Sara Sun was ninth in the women's 500 (4:50.08) and 12th in the 100free (51.79), ahead of Bibb (15th, 52.23). erik.boal@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Natalie Coughlin won the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.03 seconds Saturday. Mark Avery/Associated Press |
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