Australia Joins U.S. Gold Rush China On A Low Note As World Swimming Championships End

The United States and Australia counted their gold medals at the end of the World Swimming Championships. The Chinese, shadowed by drugs and suspensions, counted their troubles.

The Americans - led by Jenny Thompson’s four gold medals - won 14 golds, their best effort in 20 years. Australia, led by Polish-born Michael Klim’s four golds, earned seven, including three on the final night.

Klim and Thompson were honored as performers of the meet. China’s drug-stained team took all the dishonor.

Vials of human growth hormones were discovered in the luggage of Yuan Yuan and she was suspended for four years. Four teammates tested positive for a diuretic. Yuan’s coach Zhou Zhewen was banned for 15 years after he told authorities he packed her bag.

The Chinese ended with three gold medals. In the last world titles, in Rome in 1994, Chinese women won 12 of 16 events.

At least one Chinese swimmer said the drug controversy hurt the team’s performance. Rivals said the poor showing may have been absence of the seized human growth hormone.

“If you bring in 13 vials of growth hormones and have positive tests, you deserve to be treated a little roughly,” American Amy Van Dyken said. “I believe if you swim unfairly, you need to be treated unfairly.”

The drug suspensions and bans weren’t enough to convince FINA, the sport’s governing body, that there is systematic doping in the Chinese sports system.

“It is certain coaches and certain swimmers involved, and I’m sure the Chinese swimming federation is taking every step in order to stop this,” FINA secretary Gunnar Werner said Sunday.

Van Dyken and Ukrainian-born Lenny Krayzelburg collected the U.S. team’s two gold medals Sunday. Krayzelburg won the 200-meter backstroke to complete the 100 and 200 double in the discipline. Van Dyken won the 50-meter freestyle.

Van Dyken finished the 50 in 25.15 seconds, ahead of Sandra Voelker of Germany in 25.32 and Shan Ying of China, who took bronze in 25.36. Thompson, trying to notch her fifth gold medal of the meet, was fourth.

The only sour note for the United States was the defeat of the men’s 400-meter medley relay team by Australia - the first time the Americans have lost in the event at a world championship.

Australia’s other gold medals came from Susie O’Neill in the 200-meter butterfly and Grant Hackett in the 1,500 meters.