Barbadian Ally breaks national record but fails to advance »

Bradley Ally swims to a national record.(photo by Charles Pitt-Grant)

Sometimes your best is just not good enough. That was the case with Barbadian swimmer Bradley Ally who set a new national record of 4 minutes, 14.01 seconds in the 400 metres individual medley, when the swimming segment of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games got under way yesterday. 

Ally placed third in his heat but ended up tenth overall, just missing  out on the last eight to advance to the final of the men's 400-metre Individual Medley IM. Ally, a Pan Am Games bronze medallist, significantly bettered his previous best of four minutes, 20.99 seconds with a clocking of 4:14.01, slashing more than six seconds of his previous personal best.

Pre-race favourite American Michael Phelps leads the finalists, setting a new Olympic record of 4:07.82.

In Heat Four, Phelps set a new Olympic record of four minutes, 07.82 seconds.

Phelps appeared to have more in reserve but still stopped the clock 0.44 seconds better than his previous record of 4:08.82 set in Athens four years ago.

Barbadian teammate Andrei Cross was also eliminated in his event, the men's 100m breaststroke. Contesting Heat Three of the men's 100 breaststroke that Puerto Rico's Daniel Velez (1:01.80) won, Cross placed seventh in 1:04.57. (CMC)

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