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News14 Jul 2001


Men medley relay final

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Men Medley Relay Final

With an impressive line up including the 200m gold medallist Jonathan Wade, 200 silver medallist Michael Grant, 100 metre silver medallist Willie Hordge and bronze medallist Jonathan Walker in the US team, the casual pundits could have been forgiven for thinking that the Americans were hot favourites for the medley relay (100, 200, 300, 400 metres). What the pundits would not have taken into consideration was the sheer power of the Polish team with Piotr Kedzia – 400m silver medallist and Karol Grzegorczyk 400m gold,running the last two legs.

From the outset it looked to be going all the American’s way, despite a spirited 100 metres from Japan’s Masaya Aikawa that had Japan and the USA exchanging almost simultaneously, it was Grant for the US who then powered into the lead and exchanged with Hordge metres ahead of the followers.

Catching up over the penultimate leg, the Poles were just metres behind at the final exchange, but once again the US team rocketed into the lead with Walker looking a clear winner.. until the final bend. With South Africa’s Van Zyl coming along strongly, Grzegorczyk turned on the gas and simply powered his way past Walker drawing alongside thirty metres out and then going clear to cross the finish line in a World Youth Best of 1:50.46.

Walker was close behind, timed through the finish at 1:50.90 and Van Zyl in 1:51.35.

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