Swimming: Kent takes bronze behind Thorpe

9.30 am

New Zealand swimmer Dean Kent finished third behind Australian star Ian Thorpe in the men's 200m individual medley at the World Cup short-course meeting in Stockholm today.

Kent, who took gold in the 400m individual medley both in Stockholm yesterday and in Paris last weekend, had earlier qualified second in the heats in 2min 00.04sec, just 0.20sec behind Thorpe.

However, in the final, Thorpe gave a glimpse of his all-round skills by winning gold in his first competitive effort at the medley for six years.

Thorpe, who was just five-hundredths of a second outside the world record in winning the 400m freestyle yesterday, was trailing Britain's James Hickman after the butterfly and backstroke legs.

But he seized the lead during the breaststroke and increased his advantage during the freestyle, his favoured stroke, finishing in 1min 56.00sec.

Hickman was second in 1min 57.64sec, while Kent clocked 1min 58.08sec.

Three other New Zealanders also featured in the finals, with Helen Norfolk getting bronze in the women's 400m individual medley in 4min 39.05sec.

Norfolk was also seventh in the 100m individual medley in 1min 04.84sec, after gone 0.13sec faster in the heats.

Alison Fitch and Hannah McLean were both fifth in their respective events -- Fitch clocking 54.91sec in the 100m freestyle and McLean 1min 00.08sec in the 100m backstroke.

McLean's time took 0.03sec off her own New Zealand record, set in Paris last weekend.

- NZPA