12 Aug: 630pm-830pm @ Water Cube

400m Freestyle Men's Heats
200m Butterfly Women's Heats
200m Breaststroke Men's Heats
4x200m Freestyle Relay Men's Semi-finals
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The camera doesn't even has time to introduce the swimmers as 4 events were crashed, no waiting time was available also - the swimmers were out of their holding room every 50 seconds. Cool~

DUNFORD of heat 3 was the first Kenyan to enter an Olympic swimming competition. What a feat. 2 personal bests were achieved in the first 2 heats, the latter by KHADE of India clocking 50:07. Eamon SULLIVAN (AUS) won the fourth heats.

TAO Li was in heat 2 and finished 5th. I think I copied wrongly but LIU (CHN) clocked 2:06.46 according to what I wrote. Which is 99% inaccuracy on my part. NAKANISHI and HOSHI – both in heat 3 with LIU - were the Japan’s reps. WR holder - Jessicah SCHIPPER - was unable to finish in the top 3 during heat 4. Heat 4 results:
HERSEY (USA) 2:07.65
JENSEN (DEN) 2:07.77
LOWE (GBR) 2:08.07
JIAO (CHN) lead in the beginning but JENDRZEJCAK (POL) took over the lead shortly after the first lap. It was a fight between the 2 of them but at touch down:
MONGEL (FRA)
JIAO (CHN)
JENDRZEJCZAK (POL)

200m Breaststrokes Men’s Heats

DAUTARTUS (ETU) 2:13.11
ALMEIDA (POR) 2:13.34
PEREIRA (BRA) 2:11.30
BREE (IRE) 2:10.91
BOSSINI (ITA) 2:08.98 (OR)
BROWN (CND) 2:09:84
--- (HUN) 2:08.68 (OR)

The OR was achieved yet broken again during the heats. Kitajima, on the Heat 7, fell short at no.4 after the swimmer from Hungary, HuguesDuboscq (FRA-who was bronze medalist during 100m Breaststroke which Kitajima won the gold) and Louis Faci of Italy. Kitajima holds the WR at 200m Breaststrokes.

During Brown’s chase to the top during heat 6, it was said, “the Canada’s desperate to prove after their long disappointment,” A special mention to the winner of heat 1: he was 5 seconds faster than his PB.

4x200m Freestyle Relay Men's Semi-finals

Group 1:
JAPAN
BRAZIL
CHINA
CANADA
RUSSIA
ITALY
GERMANY

Group 2:
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
HUNGARY
GREECE
GREAT BRITAIN
USA
POLAND
SOUTH AFRICA

*excited voice* "I hope its not too late, whenever you're watching, if you're going to bed, hold on a little while...(briefly talked about fish -again)"

This is fish's event, one of his 8 golds and the commentators and viewers all over the world are waiting in anticipation. But NAH, he ain't here. The competing countries also "have the ability to change members between the heats to the finals. This is where we see alot of the B-teams..." As he said this, a slight disappointment was heard in his voice. "No Michael Phelps there." Most of the country produced their B-teams instead of their As. China is an exception. Competitors of the relay could choose to "stand behind the black blocks and look as if they're running on land for a race" or jump from the block like how they started out with. China started out strong, leading all the way in the first few laps, and then Japan caught up. The 2nd Japanese swimmer is really DA BOMB. I think he could be a sea vehicle. The commentator thinks the same. "Look at the length of his arms! Look at his legs and the amount of splashes he's producing! He's really powering on!" I bet he really felt elevated there, a very tiring elevation but still, he's fully horizontal halfway on the surface, moving so quickly that his legs were like the generators of this automobile. It’s really a sight.

Through the last lap, Italians caught on abit "he's looking across at the Japanese and the Japanese are looking across at him" but Japan swimmer no.2 is truly unbeatable. He gave Japan the lead of a body length till the last half-lap of the entire race, with Canada and Italy neck-to-neck behind. "It's Canada and Italy going for the silver..." but Moselini (spelt-as-I-heard) from Italy quickly tied with Japan swimmer no.4, who looked as if slowed down from exhaustion in the final lap. The final 5 metres seemed like a race between Japan and Italy. 2 metres, Canada caught up. Touch down.

ITALY 7:07:84
RUSSIA 7:07:86
CANADA 7:08:--

Russia came out of nowhere to emerge as second. WOW! Japan was so close (4th)! But at least they're good enough for the semi-finals.

USA led by a body-length from the start to finish. I only remembered swimmer no.4 - KELLER - who pulled the lead from 1 body-length to 2 in the course of his 200m. "I'm hoping the green line would show anything soon...WHOOPS! Here it goes!" "You never thought that, did you?" The green line is the WR, it peeked for a while during the race but disappeared afterwards.

USA 7:04:66 (OR)
GBR 7:07:89
AUS 7:08:41

"US keeping it conservative...by non-other than Mr. Phelps himself. They were probably told, 'Boys, don't mess around, keep it conservative'..."