Thompson Badge Turns to Gold

Jenny Thompson started the world swimming championships concerned about China’s drug-tainted swim team. Now she has three gold medals, while the Chinese gold rush was halted after four of the team’s swimmers tested positive for drugs.

Thompson, winner of five Olympic gold medals but none for an individual event, added the 100-meter butterfly title to her 100-meter freestyle victory and relay gold.

Thompson even bucked the trend she started Thursday as she stood “lonely” on the victory podium. Missing was the “No drugs” badge she wore to a news conference before the competition and since featured in most ceremonies with Americans, including the one for Kristy Kowal after she took the silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke Thursday.

With three days of competition left, the U.S. has seven gold medals, two more than it won four years ago at Rome, where the Chinese collected 12 of 16 golds in women’s events.

China failed to win a medal Thursday and had two golds, a silver and a bronze.

Lenny Krayzelburg gave the United States a gold medal Thursday in the 100-meter backstroke. The Americans concluded their golden night when the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay team edged Australia.

The Ukraine-born Krayzelburg was timed in 55.00 seconds in beating Canada’s Mark Versfeld (55.17) and Germany’s Stev Theloke (55.20).

“It was a very special moment,” Krayzelburg, born in Odessa but a U.S. resident since 1989, said of standing on the podium.

“While I was growing up in Russia everyone wanted to be in the United States, so it’s special to be an American and standing on top of the world.”

Thompson clocked 58.46, breaking her meet record set earlier Thursday in the prelims. Ayari Aoyama of Japan was second at 58.79 and Petria Thomas of Australia third at 58.97.

Teenagers Ian Thorpe of Australia took the men’s 400 freestyle and Hungarian Agnes Kovac won the women’s 200 breaststroke.

Kowal, 19, took the silver in the 200 breaststroke in 2:26.19. The U.S. also claimed bronze with Jenna Street, 15, finishing in 2:26.50.

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A top Chinese sports official in Beijing denied that four swimmers who flunked a drug test at the world championships were part of an organized effort, and said they will face strict punishment.

“It is an individual problem,” said Tu Mingde, secretary-general of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

Tu said Chinese officials have set up a special committee to investigate the case.

“We are always doing our best to fight any practice of drug abuses. This is our firm stand. Definitely the situation will change. I am very confident about it,” Tu said.