Bennett leads qualifiers with fine timing

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Sydney: Brooke Bennett, newly-crowned Olympic 400 metres freestyle champion, made a strong start to the defence of her 800 freestyle title on Thursday as she targetted her second gold medal of the Sydney Games.

The 20-year-old American posted the fastest heat time of eight minutes 26.47 seconds to lead qualifiers for Friday's final.

Eighteen-year-old Ukrainian Yana Klochkova, the new Olympic 200 and 400 metres individual medley champion, took aim at her third Sydney gold after winning her heat in 8:29.84, a time bettered only by Bennett.

American Kaitlin Sandeno was third-fastest overall in 8:30.12 and European champion Flavia Rigamonti of Switzerland fourth on aggregate in 8:30.44.But there was no place in the final for 1996 bronze medallist Kirsten Vlieghuis of the Netherlands and 1992 silver medallist Hayley Lewis of Australia, who returned to swimming last year after having a baby.Vlieghuis was 10th overall IN 8:35.80 and Lewis 13th in 8:38.75.

"It feels like the first Olympics I've been to," Lewis said. "I don't know what I was doing at the other two. I've been enjoying this one a lot more. I was thinking about 8:35 to make the final. I know I did the best I could."



(c) Reuters Limited.