|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Hall and Ervin share 50m gold and glory
SYDNEY, Sept 22 (AFP) - Americans Gary Hall and Anthony Ervin shared the gold and the glory Friday, putting an end to Alex Popov's quest for three straight Olympic titles when they finished tied for first in the men's 50m freestyle. Popov, who had already missed out on a slice of Olympic history when he failed to win a third straight 100m free title, had another chance in the 50. But the Russian sprint freestyle legend, who set the world record of 21.64 in June, finished sixth in 22.24sec. Hall, who finished second behind Popov in both freestyle sprints at the 1996 Games, and Ervin, both touched the wall in 21.98sec. Pieter van den Hoogenband, who set world records en route to the 100m and 200m free titles, was next in 22.03 for the bronze. "It feels great, and I don't mind sharing the gold medal," a beaming Hall said. "I couldn't be sharing with a nicer guy. "There's a million reasons I shouldn't have got this," added Hall, who was banned for three months after twice testing positive for marijuana and advised to quit swimming when he was diagnosed with diabetes. "It's such a thrill." Ervin, the first swimmer of African-American descent to make a US Olympic team, was equally pleased. "It couldn't have ended up better," Hall's young training partner said. It's not the first time an Olympic swimming final has ended in a dead heat. In 1972, Gunnar Larsson and Tim McKee touched the wall in the men's 400m medley in 4:31.98. But officials sent to the next decimal place and awarded Larrson the gold - two-thousandths of a second in front of McKee. After that the rules were changed, and in 1984 Carrie Steinseifer and Nancy Hogshead of the United States shared the gold in the 100m freestyle after finishing tied in 55.92sec.
|
