In 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics Germany's Franziska van Almsick had the fastest time in the women's 200 free yet lost the gold.

How?

She lost the individual race to Costa Rica's Claudia Poll, 1:58.16 - 1:58.57, but led off her country's 800 free relay in 1:58.14, fastest time of the Games.

Van Almsick had set the current wr at the 1994 World Championships in Rome, ranked No. 1 globally for that year, and won the European Championships the following season, also with the year's fastest time, and she was top qualifier at Atlanta.

And in 1995 America's Josh Davis led the world in the 200 free with his 1:48.41 - then a personal best.

A year later at Atlanta it was New Zealand's Danyon Loader atop the podium with a then Commonwelath - national record 1:47.63. Loader ranked fifth globally a year earlier.

Loader also won the 400 free in Atlanta, becoming the second swimmer (behind Russia's Evgeniy Sadoviy) to accomplish that particular feat. Sadoviy did it at the previous Olympiad in Barcelona.

This 'Fact of the Day' provided by Bill Bell