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Rice's crowning glory

Internet, undated
A touch over two years ago, nobody outside of swimming circles, her family and friends, and maybe those on Facebook, knew anything about Stephanie Rice. Today, among a women's team of superstars, she is the Australian golden girl, claiming her second Olympic gold medal.
It was just 29 months hgo that Rice broke onto the Australian landscape when she starred at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Since then she has produced stirring performances at the world titles the following year, world records at the trials in March, and now, the ultimate, golden Olympic souvenirs.
In one of the better races of the Games, a thrilling stroke for stroke battle with Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry, Rice just man-
aged to overhaul her tenacious rival right on the wall, and win by the bare margin of 0.13s.
Even she seemed surprised when she burned and looked at the scoreboard. First a blank look, then a massive roar of jubilation.
And just for the record, she broke the record, lowering her own world mark by a further 0.47s, clocking 2min.08.45s. For Coventry - who was 0.44s behind Rice in the 400m IM - it was deja vu, as once again she surrendered a lead to the Australian after appearing set for gold.
Rice continues the trend of the past three Olympics where the woman who has won the 400m individual medley, goes on to win the 200m. In Atlanta in 1996 it was Irishwoman Michelle Smith, then in both Sydney and Athens, Ukrainian star Yana Klochkova took out the double.
"It's something I've dreamed about for a long time," she said of completing the Olympic double. "It was obviously my ultimate
goal.
"I'm so excited to see the results pull through. I've put a lot of effort into this preparation so I'm really excited to see the results turn out the way they have.
"It was a really great battle (with Coventry) and that's what the Olympics are all about, the challenge."
American Natalie Coughlin, winner of the backstroke gold medal last night, collected the bronze- in medley, in a time, of 2min. 10.34s. Her US teammate Katie Hoff, who was expected to be the big threat to Rice in both the 200m IM and the 400m IM, finished fourth, just as she did earlier in the day in the 200m freestyle final.
Australia's other finalist, 20-year-old Alicia Coutts, swam a terrific race in her first major international meet, finishing in fifth place in a time of 2min. 11.43s.