Bennett Wins 400 Freestyle Gold

Sydney: Brooke Bennett, who won an Olympic gold in 1996, added a second with a bold victory in the women's 400 metres freestyle final on Sunday.

Bennett, 800 metres freestyle champion in Atlanta, led from start to finish to lead a US one-two with Diana Munz, who produced a storming finish to come through for the silver.

Bennett clocked four minutes 5.80 seconds to win from Munz, who surged past Costa Rica's Claudia Poll to finish second in 4:07.07. Poll had to settle for the bronze in 4:07.83.

Dolan gets world record and gold in medley

American Tom Dolan retained his Olympic 400 metres individual medley title and broke his own world record in a ferocious display of power on Sunday.

Dolan seized the lead from Canada's Curtis Myden on the backstroke leg, second phase of the four-stroke race, and forged away from his rivals to win in four minutes 11.76 seconds to beat the 4:12.30 world mark he set at the 1994 world championships in Rome.

Dolan has won all the major 400 individual medleys since then - two world and now two Olympic titles.

Fellow American Erik Vendt came through for the silver in 4:14.23, with Myden repeating his bronze of Atlanta and clocking 4:15.33.



(c) Reuters Limited.