Thorpe, De Bruijn set new records in pool

Sydney: The Sydney Olympics got off to a cracking start for the host nation on Saturday when teenage swimming sensation Ian Thorpe cruised to a new Games mark as records tumbled in the pool.

Australia, basking in a glow of patriotic pride after a much-praised, spectacular opening ceremony on Friday night, had more to cheer when Thorpe, 17, effortlessly broke the Olympic record in the men's 400 metres freestyle heats.

Thorpe, dubbed the "Thorpedo" by sports-mad Australians and famed for his size 17 "flipper" feet, is one of the biggest potential stars of the millennium Olympics, tipped for at least three gold medals.

The first of 300 gold medals on offer were awarded in shooting and triathlon, giving the winners a brief "15 minutes of fame" before the high-profile stars seize the headlines.

Swimming, a major spectator sport in Australia, looked like producing a host of superlative performances as records tumbled on the first day.

Dutch world record holder Inge de Bruijn edged American rival Jenny Thompson to annihilate the Olympic record in the women's 100 metres butterfly heats.

Thompson, who held the world record before her Dutch rival improved on it twice this year, also smashed the record set by Qian Hong of China at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

But there was also an upset in the pool. World record holder Chen Yan, the only Chinese world swimming champion to come to the Games, failed to qualify for the final of the women's 400 metres individual medley.



(c) Reuters Limited.