Michigan Olympic Updates: Sunday, Aug. 10
8/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Olympics
Rowing
Day two at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park featured former Wolverines Janine Hanson and Matt Hughes, who each raced in their respective quadruple sculls heats.
Rowing for Team Canada, Hanson (class of 2006) finished third out of four crews in her heat. Crossing the 1,000-meter buoy, the Canadian quad was in fourth behind China, Ukraine and Russia. Hanson and her teammates walked through Russia in the second half of the race to take third in 6:23.27. China easily won in 6:11.83 to clinch an automatic bid into the final, while Ukraine placed second in 6:17.84. Canada, Ukraine and Russia will race in the repechage on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
Hughes, who rowed for the Michigan men's club team, placed third in his heat with the United States quad. Ahead of the U.S. was Ukraine (5:40.11) and Germany (5:43.48). By taking third in 5:45.77, Hughes and his fellow Americans clinched a spot in the A/B semifinal to take place on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
Heather Mandoli (class of 2004) was slated to make her Olympic debut in the Canadian eight, but poor weather conditions forced officials to postpone all women's and men's eight events. Canada's race has been rescheduled for 2:50 p.m. (Beijing time) on Monday, Aug. 11, when it competes against Germany, USA and Great Britain.
| INDIVIDUAL | EVENT | RESULT |
| Janine Hanson (Canada) | Women's Quadruple Scull Heats | 3rd, Heat 1 (6:23.27) |
| Matt Hughes (USA) | Men's Quadruple Scull Heats | 3rd, Heat 3 (5:45.77) |
| Heather Mandoli (Canada) | Women's Eight Rowing Heats | 5:20 p.m.@ |
| Brett Sickler (USA) | Women's Eight Rowing Heats | 5:20 p.m.@ |
Swimming
Michael Phelps, former U-M volunteer men's swimming coach and multiple medalist in Athens, won his seventh career Olympic gold medal Sunday morning in Beijing, taking first in the 400-meter individual medley in a world-record time of 4:03.84. Phelps, who has placed first in every one of his 400m IM races in the past six years, broke his own world record that he set at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha in July. Phelps led fellow American Ryan Lochte by just 0.20 seconds at the midway point of the race, but increased his lead during the breaststroke and pulled away during the freestyle, winning by 2.32 seconds over Laszlo Cseh of Hungary; Lochte finished third.
Competing in his first career Olympic individual final, former Wolverine Peter Vanderkaay finished just outside the medals in the 400-meter freestyle. Vanderkaay touched the wall fourth in a time of 3:43.11, just 0.33 seconds behind U.S. athlete Larsen Jensen, who set a new American record while finishing third. Taehwan Park of South Korea won the gold with a time of 3:41.86. Vanderkaay's fourth-place finish was the best ever for a former or current Michigan swimmer in the 400m freestyle at the Olympics. The previous high was Jack Wardrop's fifth-place finish for Great Britain in 1952.
Phelps and Vanderkaay were both back in the pool during Sunday evening's swimming session in Beijing as each competed in the 200-meter freestyle heats. Phelps, swimming in heat eight, finished with a time of 1:46.48, good for second in the heat and 0.68 seconds behind Dominik Meichtry of Switzerland. Vanderkaay was second in heat seven, touching the wall in 1:47.39. Paul Biedermann of Germany won the heat with a time of 1:47.09. As a result of their respective finishes, both Phelps and Vanderkaay advanced to the semifinals scheduled for Monday morning at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing.
2008 Michigan graduate Valeria Silva, swimming for Peru, failed to advance in the 100-meter breaststroke as she finished 38th in the preliminaries. Silva, a 2007 All-American, swam a personal-best 1:11.64, breaking the national record of 1:11.90 she set earlier this year to qualify.
| INDIVIDUAL | EVENT | RESULT |
| Michael Phelps (USA) | Men's 400m Individual Medley Final | 1st, Gold (4:03.84*) |
| Peter Vanderkaay (USA) | Men's 400m Freestyle Finals | 4th (3:43.11) |
| Michael Phelps (USA) | Men's 200m Freestyle Heats | 2nd, Heat 8 (1:46.48+) |
| Valeria Silva (Peru) | Women's 100m Breaststroke Heats | 2nd, Heat 2 (1:11.64) |
| Peter Vanderkaay (USA) | Men's 200m Freestyle Heats | 2nd, Heat 7 (1:47.39+) |
* World Record
! Olympic Record
^ Qualified for finals
+ Advanced to semifinals
# Advanced to quarterfinals
@ Rescheduled Event
