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Lochte, Soni Are Golden

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A Tribune wire report

Published: August 15, 2008

BEIJING - Rebecca Soni and Ryan Lochte of the U.S. won swimming gold medals with world-record times today at the Olympics.

Lochte upset defending champion Aaron Peirsol in the 200-meter backstroke, dashing his teammate's hopes of completing a backstroke sweep for the second consecutive Games.

Lochte took the lead over the final 50 meters and touched in 1 minute, 53.94 seconds, lowering the world mark of 1:54.32 that he and Peirsol had shared for more than a month.

Peirsol earned the silver in 1:54.33. Arkady Vyatchanin of Russia took the bronze in 1:54.93.

Peirsol already had won the 100 back in world-record time.

Soni took the women's 200-meter breaststroke, spoiling the hopes of Australia's Leisel Jones for a sweep of the stroke in Beijing. The 21-year-old American won in 2 minutes, 20.22 seconds - 0.32 second under Jones's old mark.

Jones finished second after winning the 100-meter breaststroke three days ago.

In a later race, Britta Steffen of Germany won the gold medal in women's 100-meter freestyle. American Natalie Coughlin won the bronze.

Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler ended their Olympics with a stunner - neither teenager advanced out of the 800-meter freestyle heats Thursday, ensuring the United States a medals shutout in the event for the first time in 28 years.

Hoff ended her second games without a coveted gold medal, despite swimming five individual events. She settled for a silver, two bronzes and a pair of fourth-place finishes.

Pieter van den Hoogenband, the 30-year-old Flying Dutchman, announced his retirement immediately after a fifth-place finish ruined his hopes of winning a third straight gold in the 100 free.

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