Matt Grevers of the United States set an Olympic record to win the men’s 100-meter backstroke at the London Olympics today.
Grevers finished in 52.16 seconds, 0.38 ahead of the previous mark set by fellow American Aaron Peirsol at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Nick Thoman, another American, was second in 52.92, and Ryosuke Irie of Japan was third in 52.97.
Also, American teenager Missy Franklin won the women’s 100-meter backstroke at the London Olympics.
Franklin won the two-lap race in 58.33 seconds for her first Olympic gold and second medal after taking bronze in the 4×100 freestyle relay.
Emily Seebohm of Australia touched in 58.68 to take the silver medal and Aya Terakawa of Japan finished in 58.83 to take bronze.
Franklin swam little more than 10 minutes after taking the eighth and final qualifying spot in the 200 freestyle semifinals.
Yannick Agnel of France routed a stellar field by more than a second and a half to win the 200-meter freestyle.
Having pushed France ahead of the United States in the anchor leg of the 4×100 free relay a day earlier, Agnel led from start to finish and clocked 1 minute, 43.14 seconds.
Park Tae-hwan of South Korea and Sun Yang of China shared silver in 1:44.93.
World champion Ryan Lochte of the United States finished fourth and world record holder Paul Biedermann of Germany was fifth.
Defending champion Michael Phelps did not enter the event.
Categories: -News-, -Sports-, Schenectady County
