Stephanie Rice claims Women’s 400m IM gold: Day one – EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships
Stephanie Rice of St Peters Western Swimming Club claimed gold medal of the Women’s 400m Individual Medley (IM) on foremost day of the 2012 EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships at the South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide on Thursday,
March 15.
The 23-year-old Rice demonstrated her unimaginable efforts and proved her entitlement in the Australian squad to the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The triple Olympic gold medallist, Rice showed no leniency to her competitors in the eight-lap IM discipline and earned her way to the podium for gold medal. With her enthralling efforts, she completed her initial two laps of the race in a fastest time of
1 minute and 02.51 seconds.
She was followed by Blair Evans of City of Perth, who remained 0.79 seconds slower from her and ended her first round of the race with the timing of 1 minute and 03.30 seconds.
Rice continued her thrilling form in the next round, where she extended her lead to almost one body length and ended her initial half of the race by posting a time of 2 minutes and 12.79 seconds. The 20-year-old Evans stayed almost two seconds slower from
her and covered the same distance with an effort of 2 minutes and 14.41 seconds.
The arena saw scintillating struggles of the Olympic champion in third round, where she strengthened her position for gold medal by clocking a time of 3 minutes and 30.98 seconds. With her persistent efforts, Rice earned a lead of nearly five seconds over
Evans, who completed her 300 metres of the race by posting a time of 3 minutes and 35.80 seconds.
Similarly, Rice’s unrelenting efforts in the final round placed her on the podium for gold medal as she hit the finishing end with the timing of 4 minutes and 33.45 seconds.
She was chased by Evans, who ended her swim in a time of 4 minutes and 37.80 seconds while Samantha Hamill of Kawana Waters snared bronze medal of the discipline by clocking 4 minutes and 42.69 seconds.
Furthermore, Rice claimed that she would try her level best to make her country proud by defending her titles at the upcoming Olympics.
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