August 25, 2007	Saturday	Sha’aban 11, 1428

NARASHINO (Japan), Aug 24: Athens Olympic dual gold medallist Kosuke Kitajima led Japan to a new national record in the medley relay on the final day of the International swim meet here on Friday.

Tomomi Morita, Kitajima, Ryo Takayasu and Hisayoshi Sato clocked three minutes 33.35 seconds to win the men’s 4x100-metre medley relay, beating the United States in 3:35.15 and Australia in 3:35.42.

Kitajima and Morita were the holders of the previous national mark of 3:35.16 which they set at the world championships in Melbourne.

It was Japan’s third gold medal of the day, and sixth overall, after Athens Olympic champion Ai Shibata won the women’s 800m freestyle in 8:23.76 and Takashi Yamamoto took the men’s 100m butterfly in 52.50.

Overall, Australia added two more gold medals on Friday to top the tables with 15 titles. Japan finished second with six gold, Zimbabwe four, while Britain, South Africa and Poland each with two. South Korea won one.

The biggest surprise of the evening was 15-year-old Cate Campbell of Australia who upset team-mate and world champion Libby Lenton to win the women’s 50m freestyle in 24.48.

Lenton, who won one gold and a bronze in her debut Olympics in Athens, touched home in 24.65.

Lenton also anchored the women’s 4x100m medley relay team to win in 3:58.40, beating the United States and Japan.

Kirsty Coventry finished the meet responsible for all of Zimbabwe’s gold medals. On Friday she won the women’s 200m individual medley in 2:10.83 ahead of Stephanie Rice of Australia and Katarina Baranowska of Poland.

In other races, Britian’s Liam Tancock emerged victorious in the men’s 200m individual medley in 1:59.19, while Berhard Zandberg of South Africa won the men’s 50m freestyle in 22.18.

The winners of each individual race received the top prize of 300,000 yen (2,590 dollars), and the relay winning team one million yen.—AFP

Final medals table

(Tabulated under gold, silver, bronze, total):

Australia 15 10 4 29

Japan 6 6 6 18

Zimbabwe 4 0 0 4

Britain 2 4 2 8

Poland 2 3 4 9

South Africa 2 0 0 2

South Korea 1 0 1 2

USA 0 7 6 13

China 0 2 6 8

Canada 0 0 1 1

Sweden 0 0 1 1

Kazakhstan 0 0 1 1

Total 32 32 32 96