PERTH, January 13: World record holder Tom Dolan and unheralded Kristy Kowal powered the United States to the top of the swimming medal table with victories on the second night in the pool at the World Championship here today.Olympic champion and two-time world champion Dolan's win in the 400 metres indiviual medley was anticipated, but Kowal was a stunning winner of the women's 100 m breaststroke final.
With Jenny Thompson's victory yesterday in the women's 100m freestyle, the US now have three gold medals in two days of competition in the pool.The Americans were bidding for a third gold in today's final event but were blown away by Australia, who stormed to victory in championship time in the 200m freestyle relay.
The Australians' 4.29 second runaway win in 7;12.48 became Michael Klim's second gold medal of the championship following yesterday's victory in the 200m freestyle. Klim will try to upset world record holder Alex Popov in tomorrow's 100m freestyle for his third gold medal from as many
events.
Earlier, Costa Rican Claudia Poll picked up the missing world gold medal for her trophy cabinet with victory in the 200m freestyle to go with her Atlanta Olympics gold.
It was an euphoric night for Kowal, a 19-year-old student from Georgia, who deflated the giants of women's breaststroke when she stormed home to seize the gold medal in one minute 08.42 seconds.
Kowal touched out Australian number two Helen Denman (1:08.51) and Canadian Lauren Van Oosten (1.08.66) in a blanket finish with first to last separated by just 0.74s.
World champion and Australia's swim darling Samantha Riley and Olympic champion Penny Heyns of South Africa missed out on the medals.
Kowal, who won a bronze medal behind Riley in the event at the Pan Pacific Games in Fukuoka last August, was ranked just sixth in the world last year.Heyns was fifth in 1:08.77, and Riley, who led the field to the turn in 31.90s, was sixth in 1;08.80s, but she was just 0.38 seconds behind Kowal.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
