Tuesday
Aug122008
Pellegrini wins gold for Italy
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 23:15 
Pellegrini powered her way to victory in one minute 54.82
seconds to shave 0.63 off the previous world record of 1:55.45
she set in Monday's heats.
Slovenia's European champion Sara Isakovic finished second
to take the silver medal in 1:54.97 while the bronze went to
China's Pang Jiaying in 1:55.05 as the first three finishers
all went under the old world record.
Pellegrini's win helped erase some of the disappointment of
the 400 freestyle two days ago when she finished out of the
medals after going into the race as the world record holder.
"It wasn't easy to come back after the blow of the 400
where I handled the race badly," she said.
"The key this time was instinct. My coach told me to follow
my instincts and that was the best way for me.
"I've reached three great aims, gold, the world record and
getting past the wall of 1:55."
Pellegrini went into the 400 final as the overwhelming
favourite after breaking the world record at the European
championships earlier this year and setting the fastest
qualifying time in the semi-finals.
But she faded badly over the last 100 of the final to
finish a disappointing fifth behind surprise British gold
medallist Rebecca Adlington, whose winning time was more than a
second outside Pellegrini's heat time.
Pellegrini said the International Olympic Committee's
decision to switch the swimming finals from their usual night
slot to the morning to fit in with prime-time American
television had affected her in the 400 but made amends in the
200.
She vented her frustration out by breaking the world record
in the heats then took her foot off the gas in the semi-finals
to save her energy for the final.
Pellegrini, now 20, became the youngest Italian to win an
Olympic medal in an individual event when she finished second
in the 200 at the 2004 Athens Games as a 16-year-old. link
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