Records fall in Olympic swimming competition

Two days into the swimming competition at the 2012 London Olympics and three world records have already been shattered – a big deal especially after high-tech polyurethane body suits were banned from competition in 2010. Prior to these Olympics, only two records have been broken since the ban in what is called the “textile suits era”. On day one of the swimming competition, Saturday, July 28, China’s 16-year-old phenom Ye Shiewen swam an amazing last 50m of her 400m IM, faster than the men’s 400m IM champion Ryan Lochte swam during the last 50m of his 400m IM win to set the game’s first world record. On day two, world records were also set by Dana Vollmer in the women’s 100m butterfly and South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh in the 100m breaststroke. Meanwhile the rivalry between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte was off to a rocky start, after Phelps failed to medal in the 400m IM, an event where Lochte captured the gold medal. Lochte however failed to hold on to a US lead in the last 50m of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, Sunday, giving the gold medal to France. The silver medal which he shares with Phelps is Phelp’s first Olympic silver medal and his 17th Olympic medal putting him two medals away from becoming the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.

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