Jean Basson gave Team South Africa its best result of the Beijing Olympics to date when he finished fourth in the 200m freestyle finals on Tuesday, behind America’s Michael Phelps, who won the race in a new world record time of one minute 42,96 seconds.
Basson had the third-fastest reaction time from the block and in his normal fashion was conservative over the first lap to turn in seventh. Over the next 150m he moved through to fourth, keeping close to the adjacent Peter Vanderkaay in lane four.
”I just watched Vanderkaay and tried to stay with him, so that maybe in the last 50 I could pass him, but he had a little bit more,” said the Johannesburg-based swimmer.
Phelps was already a second clear at halfway with Switzerland’s Dominik Meichtry a spent force, dropping from second to be replaced by Vanderkaay, and Korea’s Taekwan Park moving up.
Visibly throwing everything at it in the final quarter, Basson was unable to out-stroke the American, who took third in 1:45.14.
Basson’s fourth-placed 1:45,97 was 0,12 seconds off his best time, set in Durban in April, and makes him Team South Africa’s highest-placed finisher of the Games to date.
”I gave it my all — there was nothing left in the tank at the end. It’s cool for me as this is my first major international final and I came fourth in the Olympics,” said and enthusiastic Basson
”It motivates me to go back to Arizona, train harder on my start and turns and then I can come back next time and grab a medal.”
Basson says he believes the team will have a really good chance of making the final in the relay, referring to the 4x200m freestyle that begins at 2pm South African time. ”I know Sebastein [Rousseau] and Jasper [Venter] have improved a lot since trials, I’ll be fast and Darian [Townsend] is swimming awesome, so we have a good shot at making finals.”
Although ranked fifth going into the Games, they will have to target the Polish and Austrian teams if they are to achieve their goal as the US, Australia, Italy and Britain are sure to make the grade. — Sapa