Russian Popov leads farewell parade

Athens marked the end of the Olympic trail for Alexander Popov and a clutch of other swimming champions.

Popov, outstanding among sprint freestylers, swam his last race in Saturday's medley relay and departed without a medal at the end of a career studded with gold.

The 32-year-old Russian won unique back-to-back freestyle doubles in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle at the 1992 and 1996 Games and fanned hopes of more glory when he regained his world titles in both events at the 2003 world championships.

But there was to be no last hurrah in the Athens pool. Popov was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100 freestyle and did not make it past the heats of the 50 freestyle although his world record remained intact.

Popov is followed out of the Olympic exit by other fine swimmers, including Franziska van Almsick, Jenny Thompson and Petria Thomas.

Van Almsick, who made a sensational entry to the Olympic stage at the age of 14 at the 1992 Barcelona Games with a silver medal in the 200 freestyle, a bronze in the 100 freestyle and two relay medals, came to Athens with high hopes but managed only fifth in 200. Bronze in two relays hoisted her Olympic tally to four silvers and six bronzes.

Thompson, 31, notched a record 12th Olympic medal on Saturday in the US medley relay as she signed off from her fourth and last Olympics.

Thompson enjoyed the support of a perennially strong US team and achieved 10 of those medals in relays but she, like van Almsick, was denied an individual gold, having taken silver in the 100 freestyle in 1992 and bronze in the same event in 2000.

Australia's Thomas, a 1996 silver and 2000 bronze medallist in the 200 butterfly, completed her Olympic set with gold in the 100 butterfly in Athens. She also collected more gold in two world record breaking relays.

Sydney triple champion Inge de Bruijn, who retained her 50 freestyle title and took silver in the 100 freestyle and bronze in the 100 butterfly and 4x100 freestyle relay, left her future open.

"I don't know if I'll be there for the next Olympics, we'll see," the Dutch sprinter, who turns 31 tomorrow, said.