London 2012 Olympics: Champion Park wins appeal after shock disqualification is overturned

OLYMPIC champion Park Tae-hwan of South Korea had a narrow escape yesterday when, having been disqualified after winning his 400 freestyle heat for a false start, he was subsequently re-instated on appeal on the opening day of Olympic swimming yesterday.

Meanwhile, another near-shock came when American Michael Phelps only just qualified in the 400-metre individual medley, squeaking into the final by seven-hundredths of a second.

“That one didn’t feel too good,” he said.

And Paul Biedermann of Germany, the world record holder in the event, failed to make the final.

Canadian Ryan Cochrane was the unlucky swimmer, having thought he had qualified for the 400 free final only to lose his place again when Park was re-instated.

Park was South Korea’s first swimming gold medalist in Beijing and then won the world title in Shanghai last year.

Phelps, the two-time defending Olympic champion, won his 400 IM preliminary heat in 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds with a time that was well off his world record of 4:03.84 set four years ago in Beijing, when he won a record eight gold medals.

But it was only good enough to secure the last spot in last night’s final.

“The only thing that matters is just getting a spot in,” he said. “You can’t win the gold medal from the morning.”

In the 400 IM, Kosuke Hagino of Japan led the way in 4:10.01, a national record. Chad le Clos of South Africa was second at 4:12.24, and Ryan Lochte of the United States advanced in third at 4:12.35.

Phelps’ time was just fast enough to keep Laszlo Cseh of Hungary, the silver medalist in Beijing, out of the final. Cseh was ninth overall after leading Phelps during their heat before the American closed on the last lap of freestyle to beat him to the wall.

“I didn’t expect those guys to go that fast in their heat,” said Phelps, pictured right.

“I was slower this morning than I was four years ago.”

Phelps’ time in the gruelling event that he had vowed not to swim again after Beijing took some of the lustre off what was expected to be a showdown between him and Lochte for gold.

“You can’t count him out,” Lochte said of Phelps. “Even though he just squeaked in eighth, he’s a racer. We’re going to do everything we can to go 1-2 tonight.”

Lochte, the bronze medalist in Beijing, has won the 400 IM at the last two world championships. “My first race is always the worst one,” he said. “I’m glad I got the cobwebs out.”

Dana Vollmer had the fastest qualifying time in the 100 butterfly at 56.25 seconds, setting American and Olympic records, to lead 16 women into the evening semifinals.

“I’m really happy with how fast it was and I think it’s only going to get faster,” she said. “That’s a confidence-booster. I’m ready to go.”

Lu Ying of China was second in 57.17 and Australian Alicia Coutts was third at 57.36. Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, the world record holder, was fourth at 57.45.

American Claire Donahue moved on in seventh, while British teammates Francesca Hall and Ellen Gandy were eighth and ninth, respectively.

Jess Schipper of Australia, the bronze medalist four years ago, was 24th and missed the semi-finals by eight spots.

In the 400 free, Sun Yang of China qualified fastest in 3:45.07. American Peter Vanderkaay was second at 3:45.80, followed by his team-mate Conor Dwyer in 3:46.24.

Biedermann washed out for the second straight Olympics, having failed to make it out of the heats in Beijing.

He set the world record at the 2009 world meet in Rome at the height of the high-tech body suit craze. Those suits have since been banned.