Top Female Swimming Contenders for Gold Medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Libby Trickett (ne Lenton) has the best shot at the sprint double - she is a world record holder in both events, with enough experience to know how to go fast on the right day to get the gold. She is also on the top in the 100 butterfly. She is the fastest woman in the world going into the 2008 games, and will probably the fastest when they are over.

Katie is in play for gold in the longer freestyle events and in both IM's. She is in the 200, 400, and 800 Freestyles and the 200 and 400 IM's. She will swim over 5,000 meters of races during the 2008 Olympics, and she hopes that 2,000 meters of that leads to gold medals. To get to the gold, she has to swim the 200's and 400's three times and the 800 twice. That does not count relays she will be on!

Federica Pellegrini is the best at the 400 freestyle, and only Hoff (USA) and Adlington (GBR) are within a second of her best time in 2008. Will that be enough for them to overtake her in Beijing?

Coughlin is the person to beat in the 100 Backstroke; everyone in the finals should be under 1:00 - but Natalie has been under :59. Can anyone else do that in Beijing? I am also expecting a glimmer of gold for Coughlin in the 200 IM.

France's Laure Manaudou has the power to go for the gold in both backstroke and the longer freestyle events. She had a rough Olympic trials, missing out on the 200 freestyle, but she may put it together for the Olympic games. She has had a year of distractions, hopefully those are all behind her in Beijing.

Until the US Olympic Trials, Kirsty, who trains in the USA, was the 200 back world record holder. She wants to claim that again, and she will also be fighting for the top spot in the 100 back.

Faster then anyone else in the breaststroke field. Liesel Jones will only be beaten if she makes mistakes. She used to be prone to failure in the big meets, but she has matured and has taken control of herself. The result? No one is close to her.

Jessica Schipper is a world record holder in the 200 fly; that makes her #1 going into the 2008 Olympic games. Her swims in 2008 rank her in 6th place on the best times list. Will she regain her form and jump back to #1?

Stephanie Rice has both the 200 and 400 IM gold medals in sight for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after smashing performances at the Australian Olympic Trials. She is almost a full second ahead of the field in the 200 IM, and only a few tenths out of first in the 400.

The defending world champion is not afraid to fight for the win. Like everyone else in the marathon swimming event, she wants the first ever gold medal. She is tough, determined, and experienced. I would not want to be in her way!