Dutchman halts ‘Thorpedo’ to clinch 200m title

Sydney: Dutchman Pieter Van Den Hoogenband broke Australian hearts by beating local hero Ian Thorpe to win the Olympic 200 metres freestyle title in emphatic style on Monday.

Van Den Hoogenband, who took Thorpe's world record in Sunday's semi-finals, repeated the trick in the final to win in the identical time of one minute 45.35 seconds.

The Dutchman took the lead from American pace-setter Josh Davis on the second length of the four-length race but Thorpe clawed the advantage back and the two turned exactly together into the final length.

Thorpe's finish is devastating but this time he could make no impression as Van Den Hoogenband, who won six gold medals at the 1999 European championships, forged away to win the gold by almost half a second.

" I can't believe it. I have so much respect for Ian," the Dutchman said. Thorpe, who had already won two Olympic titles here, had to settle for the silver in 1:45.83 and Massimiliano Rosolino took the bronze in 1:46.65.

Thorpe broke his own 400 metres freestyle world record on Saturday and shared a second world record when he anchored Australia's 4x100 metres freestyle relay to a dramatic victory over the United States.

He paid tribute to the winner saying that on the night he could not match him.

"I was a bit run down. I had a sore throat and a bit of a headache," Thorpe said.



(c) Reuters Limited.