Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

AP photo / David J. Phillip
Elizabeth Beisel, right, and fellow American Margaret Hoelzer celebrate today after both swimmers ensured their places in the semifinals of the 200-meter backstroke.

North Kingstown's Elizabeth Beisel has completed her preliminary heat of the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:09.02, the sixth-best time out of 34 swimmers competing in the round.

Beisel now advances to the semifinal round of the 200m backstroke, tonight at 10:32.

She finished 2.26 seconds off the pace of first-place Kirsty Coventry, from Zimbabwe.

Beisel had a strong finish after finding herself in seventh place out of eight swimmers in her heat at the close of the first 100 meters. She moved all the way to second place between 100 to 150 meters, and remained second in the heat, behind Great Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds. who led the entire way.

Beisel's splits: 31.57, 1:04.64, 1:36.91, 2:09.02

 Tags  Elizabeth Beisel Olylmpics women's swimming

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