New Zealand's best swimmer, Helen Norfolk, will throw all her effort into the women's 200m backstroke after faltering in the Olympic 200m individual medley heats on Monday.
After breaking a national record and placing 13th overall in the 400m medley on Saturday, Norfolk hoped to reach the semifinals on Monday with
a top-16 time. But the clock stopped at 2m 18.90s, which was 1.5s outside her best and left her 20th.
"It wasn't a good time, I was hoping to do better," Norfolk said.
"I felt all right in the warm-up beforehand but it just didn't come together when I got out there."
After a solid opening butterfly leg she was disappointing in the backstroke, usually her strong suit. She turned out her best ever breaststroke split time, but came home sluggishly by her standards in the freestyle.
Norfolk swam close to the outside of lane eight throughout, but said that was deliberate to avoid the splash of swimmers inside her. The Christchurch 19-year-old said the 200m backstroke on Thursday was her main focus at the Games.
New Zealand coach Brett Naylor agreed.
"We said two years ago, or even earlier, that the backstroke would be her best shot at the Olympics," Naylor said. "In theory, she has a top-16 chance because her backstroke has been going very well, but I would have given her a chance in the 200 IM so we'll have to wait and see."
Norfolk will probably need better than her personal best to qualify for the semifinals as 22 swimmers here have posted better times over 200m.
Aucklander Nikki Tanner was to be New Zealand's entrant in the race, but pulled out of the Games because she felt she could not produce her best.
Norfolk had swum a fractionally slower qualifying time, which was under the Olympic B standard.
- NZPA
