Former Tide NCAA Champion Finals at Olympic Games
8/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Two-time NCAA Champion Stefan Gherghel became the second University of Alabama swimmer to final in an event at the Athens Olympics, taking fifth in his signature event, the 200m butterfly.
Gherghel, who won back-to-back 200 butterfly titles while competing for the Crimson Tide in 2002 and 2003, swam a time of one minute and 56.10 seconds in finals, more than a second faster than his semi-finals time. Representing his native Romania, Gherghel tied for seventh coming out of prelims and was sixth in the semi-finals.
Gherghel finished about a half a second out of the bronze medal while United State's phenom Michael Phelps came away with the gold in an Olympic Record time of 1:54.04.
Vlad Polyakov is the Tide's other Olympic finalist to this point in the Games. The sophomore to be took fifth in the 100m breaststroke. He is scheduled to swim the 200m breaststroke later in the week.
