Rice: WR 2:08.92 200m Medley
2008-03-25
Craig Lord
We're told that the Speedo suit is making no difference and that its insulting to suggest that the swimmer has been tech-doped in some way, but Stephanie Rice and sweetheart Eamon Sullivan are among those leading a headlong rush into a new era of speed

Well, we're told that the suit is making no difference and that its insulting to suggest that the swimmer has been technology doped in some way, so Stephanie Rice and sweetheart Eamon Sullivan must have been working not only harder but smarter than the vast majority of rivals who woke up this morning to find they belong to a bygone era. We have entered a new era of speed - no question.

When Wu Yanyan (CHN) clocked 2:09.72 to set a world 200m medley record back in 1997, the world cried foul. And so it proved. Her 10 and a half-year mark is no more: at Australian Olympic trials in Sydney, Rice stormed to a 2:08.92 (28.03; 1:00.56; 1:39.24) world record that was 2.50sec inside her previous best of 2:11.42 at Melbourne 2007. Rice's situation cannot be compared to Wu's, of course. We all know the difference.

That said, Rice's progress is noteworthy in itself. Her rate of improvement is greater than she managed from 18-year-old to 19-year-old. You might well expect that in Olympic year - and Rice has laid down the gauntlet to rivals by making herself the favourite for the two titles in Beijing - so far.

Here's how her improvement stacks up, alonsgide Hoff's Melbourne victory splits - the front end of the swim, particularly backstroke, is where Rice has made the major gain, but the homecoming freestyle split 29.68 says much of a change in Rice. Hoff, a 4:02 (4:04 at the time) freestyler, came home in 31.07. Rice is tiring much less.


Rice, 2008: 28.03; 1:00.56; 1:39.24; 2:08.92
Rice, 2007: 28.45 1:02.03 1:40.39 2:11.42
Hoff: 28.35 1:01.96 1:39.06 2:10.13

And here's how it leaves the all-time leader-board:


2:08.92 Rice AUS 2008
2:09.72 Wu CHN 1997
2:10.05 Hoff USA 2007
2:10.08 Coventry ZIM
2:10.11 Myers (USA)
2:10.68 Klochkova (UKR)
2:11.16 Belmonte (ESP)
2:11.27 Chen (CHN)
2:11.65 Lin (CHN)
2:11.70 Beard (USA)
 

Rice's effort saw her race 1.3sec inside Wu's pace at half-way and end a whopping 0.80sec inside the time done by the Chinese cheat in Shanghai in 1997. Wu was subsequently banned, as was Chen Yan on the list above.  

Rice now holds both 200m and 400m world records, the first woman to achieve that since Petra Schneider (GDR) in 1980. Much water and steroids under the bridge since. We must, of course, assume that Rice's stunning form is a cause for celebration, while looking forward to reading and hearing more about the work and methodology that has gone into making the medley ace and her boyfriend Eamon Sullivan the talk of world swimming.

NOTE to those who wilfully misinterpret: I am NOT saying the Aussie times are the result of doping. Note: NOT saying that. I am, however, reflecting genuine surprise at the progress being made around the globe in the past six weeks. I am seeking explanations that so far I have not read or heard anywhere. It is legitimate to ask 'how?'. It is also in everyone's interest for the sport to constantly ask itself that question. The question applies to Pellegrini's 400m, to Veldhuis' 50m, to all of those swims. Look back at years gone by, all those who are cynical about what is written here. Can you find me a March period in any single Olympic year that witnessed not only the number of world records we are seeing but the margins being axed off standards?

Let me answer it for you:
'Spring' (northern hemisphere) Olympic trials season produces the following stats for the past five Olympiads on world record count: 1992: 6; 1996: 0; 2000; 12, of which seven were set by Inge de Bruijn (NED) alone; 2004: 3. At US trials, the most successful of all those years, by far, was 2004, when seven world records fell, four men accounting for those. This year, we have seen 14 world standards fall so far, with 10 different swimmers accounting for progress, and one relay, the Dutch 4x100m free women (no relay records fell pre-Games in 1992, 1996, 2000 or 2004, but the chance for that to happen is, of course, slight).

At Melbourne 2007, we witnessed 15 world records, seven of those to men, and much of the gain down to Michael Phelps. Explanations beyond what is to be expected - hard work, talent, science and feedback etc - included the suit (old model - and we assume all had access to the same suits, though some were more equal than others in terms of having their garments tailor-made), the turns and Dolphin kicking (which had a huge impact), and the timing of events (long way out from the Olympic Games).

In this Olympic season, swimmers and coaches appear to be keener than ever to show their wares up front. Back in Sydney, Sullivan gave Frenchman Alain Bernard's four-day old 100m free world record of 47.50 a rattling, falling just 0.05sec shy of the mark in semi-finals for a Commonwealth record of 47.55, second best all-time and a breathtaking 0.56sec off the 48.11 Commonwealth record set only last month.

The trials in Sydney also saw Commonwealth standards fall to Bronte Barratt - 1:56.60 in the 200m freestyle (6th best all-time) and Nick D'Arcy, with a 1:55.10 in the 200m butterfly (for 10th best ever).