Olympics: Australia's Jones claims elusive Olympic breaststroke gold

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

BEIJING - Australia's world champion and world record holder Leisel Jones is now Olympic champion after her all-the-way victory in the 100 metres breaststroke final at the Beijing Games on Tuesday.

The undisputed breaststroke queen of world swimming made amends for her Olympic disappointment in Athens four years ago, winning just outside her world record in a time of one minute 05.17 seconds.

American Rebecca Soni claimed the silver medal in 1:06.73 with Austria's Mirna Jukic third in 1:07.34.

Jones, 22, was two-tenths of a second under world record pace at the turn and the record eluded her by just 8/100ths of a second.

"I am delighted, I couldn't care less about the time," Jones said.

"An Olympic gold is an Olympic gold, the time, the race, none of it matters - it's all about the gold."

"I looked at the crowd on the way to the race and made an effort to take it all in, I was almost skipping, I was so excited."

Jones turned her career around since the 2004 Olympics where she finished with silver and bronze in the breaststroke events after going in as the favourite.

She changed coaches and has since gone on to smash world records in the 100 and 200 metres and become the first swimmer to win the double breaststroke gold at two consecutive world championships.

Runner-up Soni said the American team was motivated by the sensational gold medal exploits of Michael Phelps.

"It was the best time and a silver medal, I couldn't ask for more," Soni said.

"It's been a great morning for the US (three gold medals), watching Michael was really motivational.

"It gave us all a gee up, I wouldn't put it past him to get the eight golds."