Thorpe picks up fifth gold at Pan Pacific championships
Agencies, Yokohama, Japan
Australia's Ian Thorpe captured his fifth gold medal of the Pan Pacific swimming championships on Wednesday, winning the men's 100 freestyle.
Thorpe clocked 48.84 seconds, just off his personal best time, to edge compatriot Ashley Callus (49.26) and American Nate Dusing (49.47).
"I'm pretty happy with how I raced," said Thorpe. "It was a quick time, close to my personal best and it was great that Ashley finished second.
"It's a great way to start the night - in an event that has usually been held by the Americans, it's great to go 1-2."
The 19-year-old Aussie also won the 400 freestyle and anchored the winning 400 freestyle relay as Australia won four of five races on the opening day Saturday and added the 200 freestyle and 4x200 relay golds to his total.
Dusing led over the first 50 meters before Thorpe, fourth at the turn, took charge over the second length. When he touched the wall, the capacity crowd in Yokohama erupted.
It was Australia's ninth gold of the meet. The United States led with 12.
Anthony Ervin of the United States pulled out of the 100, citing fatigue and lack of preparation. Jason Lezak, who won the gold medal in the 50 freestyle, failed to qualify for the finals.
Thorpe was bidding for his sixth gold in the men's 4x100 relay on Thursday, the final night of competition at the six-day meet.
"I'm looking forward to the relay and just hope I can keep swimming as well as I have so far," said Thorpe.
Thorpe had the second fastest time in the qualifying heats (49.24) behind Scott Tucker of the United States, who posted a time of 49.20.
Thorpe broke the 400 world mark and won six gold medals - including the 100 freestyle in 48.73 - at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in Manchester earlier this month. He also won six gold at the 2001 world championships at Fukuoka, Japan.
Apart from the Commonwealth Games, it was the first win over the 100 for Thorpe at a major international meet. He is world champion and owns the world records at the 200-, 400- and 800- meters freestyle and has set 14 individual world records in his career.
Pieter Van Den Hoogenband of the Netherlands set the world record in the 100 freestyle at the Sydney Olympics with a time of 47.84.
Earlier in the day, American champion Michael Phelps pulled out of the 100 meters butterfly in order to concentrate on the 200m individual medley at the Pan Pacific swimming championships on Wednesday.
Phelps, surprisingly beaten in the final of the 200m butterfly by US teammate Tom Malchow the previous evening, did not contest the 100m heats due to a congested schedule but was second quickest in the 200m medley in the morning.
"I think I just wanted to focus on getting another decent time in the 200 individual medley, so we decided last night to bag the 100 fly," said Phelps, who narrowly missed the world record in the 200m individual medley at the recent US nationals.
The 17-year-old, who holds the world record in the 400m individual medley -- set at the same Fort Lauderdale meet -- and the 200m butterfly, was upbeat despite losing to Malchow for the first time in a major event since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
"It was definitely a disappointment losing in the 200 fly but to come back with a US record in the relay was great. Now I'm looking at swimming a fast 200 individual medley," he said.