World record tsunami washes Chinese clean
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BEIJING -- This was the kind of result that used to provoke suspicion and finger-pointing immediately.
A Chinese female swimmer who was a virtual unknown until this year not only wins the Olympic gold medal in the 200 butterfly but drops her personal best by more than five seconds and the world record by 1.22 seconds.
Another Chinese woman finishes second, also breaking the world record.
It is much harder to level such accusations against Liu Zige -- unless you are inclined to believe that the way world records have been reduced to absurdity in these Olympics is not only due to high-tech suits and fast pools but the doping that made China’s women pariahs in the sport through the 1990s.
The doping uproar over China peaked in 1994, when its women won 12 of the 16 golds at the worlds, then lost two of those golds to doping positives and had eight positives at the ensuing Asian Games.
Liu’s was one of two world records set Thursday morning, bringing the total in these Olympics to 18.
Hers clearly was the most startling of the 18. A year ago, she was the 22nd-fastest swimmer in the world with a personal best time of 2 minutes, 9.45 seconds, and her biography sheet shows no significant international competition until these Olympics.
Thursday, Liu’s time was 2:04.18, breaking the 2-year-old mark of 2:05.40 set by Australia’s Jessicah Schipper.
Liu was asked if her coach had been hiding her from the media.
‘No, he didn’t,’’ she said. ‘I’ve improved only in the past year [so the media is not familiar with me].
‘We just relaxed and pursued our normal training program.’
Runner-up Jiao Liuyang (2:04.72) had an extensive past record of strong performances, although it did not include a continental or international medal until Thursday.
‘It is clear we oppose any drug-taking,’’ Jiao said. ‘We are clean, and we participate in the Games in a clean manner. I think all countries should participate in such a spirit. We should not gamble on doping.’’
China’s women have won four medals here (one gold, two silver, one bronze). They won just two medals in the two previous Olympics combined.
-- Philip Hersh
China’s Liu Zige, left, congratulates Australian Jessicah Schipper after the 200m butterfly final. Credit: Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty Images
