De Bruijn refutes drug claims

Inge De Bruijn is aiming for medals, not more records

Dutch swimming sensation Inge De Bruijn brushed off drugs allegations when she arrived in Sydney for the Olympics.

Her eight world records since May have aroused suspicions of drug-taking, especially as they have come at an advanced age for a swimmer.

However, the 26-year-old insisted: "It's pretty much sad, but right now, if you perform well in any sport, they cut your head off.

"In swimming, if you're from a little country, they think you can't swim, but that's not true.

Hottest

"It's not just the USA and Australia. Everybody can train hard.

"It doesn't matter what country you come from."

Her string of records at 50m and 100m freestyle and butterfly have made De Bruijn the hottest property in world swimming.

At the Olympics, she will compete in the 50m and 100m freestyle, the 100m butterfly and in relay events. The 50m butterfly is not an Olympic event.

Jenny Thompson's salute

This time, she insists that she is not concerned about setting records at the Olympics.

"It's not about world records," said De Bruijn. "I really dream about getting an Olympic medal.

"The pressure may be a little bigger, but we'll just see what happens when I'm on the block.

"I'm very excited."

Threat

Her biggest threat in the 100m freestyle, in which De Bruijn holds the record at 53.80, is likely to be Jenny Thompson of the USA.

Thompson recorded the second-fastest time of the season, 54.07, breaking her own national mark of 54.27 in her country's national trials in Indianapolis on Monday.

Dara Torres was second in 54.62, with Ashley Tappin third on 55.27.

Thompson's swim was the second US record of the evening, Kristy Kowal setting a new mark of 2:24.75 in the 200m breaststroke, with Amanda Beard, the 1996 Olympic silver medallist, second and Megan Quann third.