Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-07-07

(BEIJING, July 7) – Peter Vanderkaay, the 2004 Olympics 4×200m freestyle relay gold medalist, won yesterday’s 1,500m freestyle race with a 5.26-second lead over Larsen Jensen, event silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Chad La Tourette finished in third-place.

The race was intense from the beginning. US record-holder Jensen had set the pace from the fourth lap until the final 300 meters when Vanderkaay broke ahead to win the race with a time of 14:45.54.

Top seed Erik Vendt finished in fourth-place, failing to qualify for the Olympic event. Vendt was the second fastest starter and just behind the leading pack of Vanderkaay and Jensen but was soon outpaced by La Tourette. His time of 15:07.78 was more than 17 seconds slower than his performance two days before.

In first and second-place, Vanderkaay and Jensen automatically earned Olympic berths. Vendt will also join the Olympic team swimming the 4×200m freestyle relay.