Heyns fails in 200m breaststroke heats

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Sydney: Double Atlanta Olympic champion Penny Heyns failed to get beyond the heats in what she had anticipated would be a doomed defence of her 200 metres breaststroke title on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old South African, bronze medallist in Monday's 100 breaststroke final, faded in the second half of the race to finish a yawning 5.25 seconds behind Hungarian world champion Agnes Kovacs, seventh in her heat and 20th overall.

Kovacs took Heyns's Olympic record, clocking two minutes 24.92 seconds to break the South African's 2:25.41 mark. Heyns, second behind the 19-year-old Hungarian at the 100-metre mark, could not sustain the pace and finished in 2:30.17.

Heyns set four world records -- from 50 to 200 breaststroke -- the last time she swam at the International Aquatic Centre at Homebush Bay at the 1999 Pan Pacific championships, twice lowering the 200 mark to its present 2:23.64.

But she has not been able to achieve such great form this year as her career nears its end.

"I didn't expect to go further. I wanted to go out there and enjoy myself," Heyns said.

"So often we focus on the gold medal or the world record and we miss out on so much, so I really wanted to experience it all. I know I've struggled this season. I didn't have the legs."



(c) Reuters Limited.