Beijing Olympics update: Tao Li makes it through first heat in women’s 100m butterfly in new national record time

Update by Les Tan

Tao Li of Singapore. (Photo © Leslie Tan/Red Sports file picture)

Beijing, Saturday, August 9, 2008 – Tao Li of Singapore won her heat to qualify for the next round in the 100m butterfly. Swimming in heat 4, Tao Li finished first ahead of Italian Ilaria Bianchi in a time of 57.77sec, breaking her national record of 58.96sec. The best 16 swimmers qualified for the next round.

Tao Li posted the fourth-fastest time in the qualifiers. Jessicah Schipper of Australia was the fastest with a time of 57.58sec while Christine Magnuson of the USA and China’s Zhou Yafei were just behind, both at 57.70sec.