London Olympics: Rebecca Soni wins gold in world-record time
LONDON -- Rebecca Soni’s world record in the 200-meter breaststroke lasted all of one day.
Then the defending Olympic champion rewrote her own work, becoming the first woman to break the 2-minute, 20-second barrier, winning Olympic gold in 2:19.59 on Thursday at the Aquatics Centre.
“I can’t believe it,†said Soni, the former USC standout who still trains with the Trojan Swim Club.
PHOTOS: London Olympics — Day 6
Taking the silver was Satomi Suzuki of Japan (2:20.72). Soni had broken the world record on Wednesday night in the semifinals, going 2:20.00.
She referenced the inspiration from an early mentor.
“I’m so excited. I did it!†Soni said in an interview with the BBC on the pool deck. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been chasing that for years and years. That was my coach, back when I was in high school, who told me I was going to go 2:19. I’ve been keeping that to myself as a secret goal.â€
ALSO:
Badminton scandal continues to reverberate
Kayla Harrison gives the U.S. its first gold medal in judo
Gabrielle Douglas wins gold medal in women’s gymastics all-around
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
