T&T?s George Bovell III is expected to lay it all out when he goes after the gold medal in his pet event, the 200 individual medley, at the 28th Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, today.
By Nigel SimonBovell has opted out of today?s 50 metres freestyle preliminary heat to focus fully on his efforts in today?s final, which is scheduled for 1.18 pm.
Twice a semifinalist at the games so far in the 200 metres and 100 metres freestyle events, he started slowly in his semifinal but finished strongly to be the third fastest in his heat.
Over the first 50 metres butterfly leg, Bovell, competing in lane five, clocked 26.52 seconds to be in fourth spot at that stage. He was then timed at 30.77 seconds in the backstroke, followed by a 34.17 seconds splash to stay among the top three as the competitors headed for the final leg?the 50 metres freestyle.
Bovell, the double gold and double silver Pan American Games medallist and NCCA record holder, had a 28.85 seconds split over the final 50 metres in the freestyle for an overall time of two minutes, 31 seconds for third spot.
His top-three finish made him sure of his first appearance in an Olympics final as the fifth fastest qualifier.
He is also the first swimmer from the English-speaking Caribbean to reach an Olympics final.
Hungarian Laszlo Cseh, who swam in lane four, led from start to finish in the second semifinal and qualified third overall in 1:59.65.
Brazilian Thiago Pereira, who had also beaten Bovell at the World Cup meet in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year, was second in 2:00.07.
The trio of Cseh, Pereira and Bovell will once again have to keep their eyes on American Michael Phelps, winner of the first semifinal.
The 19-year-old Phelps, who has won four medals so far, including two golds, was unstoppable as he won his semifinal in one minute, 58.52 seconds, followed to the touch by fellow US competitor Ryan Lochte.
Lithuania?s Vytautas Janusaitis was third.
Looking ahead to today?s final, George?s father, George Bovell II, who is the swimming team?s manager said, ?George did not use up a lot of energy in the semifinal, so he will be well rested for the medal race.
?He does not intend to hold back anything when he gets out there.?
Coach Anil Roberts added, ?George?s achievement thus far is great and the entire region should stand up and cheer.?
He said the final was still to come and Bovell would be putting every iota into the race.
?The collective support of the entire nation is needed,? Roberts said.
Borel 11th in shot-put
Also yesterday, local shot-putter Cleopatra Borel finished 11th in the final with a throw of 18.35 metres.
She had qualified for the final as the second best, after a group two preliminary round put of 18.90 metres, behind Nadezhda Astapchuck of Belarus, who reached 19.69 metres.
Borel, the 2002 Sportswoman of the Year and first T&T woman to compete in the sport of shot-put at the games, was well off her personal best and national record put of 19.48 metres which she achieved at the Virginia Tech Challenge in Virginia, in the US last February.
The eventual gold medallist was Russian Irina Korzhanenk at 21.06 metres, after she put the heavy ball 19.43 metres to qualify first in group one and second overall in the preliminaries.
