Ziegler, Hoff miss final

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By Ryan O'Halloran

BEIJING – One was last year's world champion, the other owner of the second-fastest time in 2008. But it didn't matter Thursday night at the Water Cube, where Kate Ziegler and Katie Hoff both failed to qualify for the 800-meter freestyle.

Hoff, the trials champion whose fast time this year of 8:19.70 trailed only one swimmer, swam first, finished fourth and qualified 11th.

Ziegler, won worlds last year by swimming the third-fastest time in history, started her race out great but faded to fourth and qualified 10th.

For the first time, no U.S. woman will be in the 800 free final.

"I don't think many people bet on that," said Ziegler, the 20-year old from Great Falls.

In her first Olympics, Ziegler finishes with non-qualifying times in the 400 and 800 free. In her second games, Hoff has won a silver and two bronze medals in five events.

Ziegler, who owns the best time (8:16.52) among active swimmers and owned the seventh-best time of the year, led through the first 250 meters.

"The first 100 felt really good," she said.

Ziegler slipped to second during the sixth lap and every length of the pool, she lost more ground – 0.37, 0.63, 1.12, 2.37, 3.92 until she eventually fell to fourth place.

With 300 meters to go, she knew it was over.

"The first 400 felt great and I was like, 'This is going to be a good swim,' " Ziegler said. "But it just didn't happen. Some days your body doesn't work. My body chose a bad time to not work."

Ziegler said the final 300 was a grind because she knew she wasn't going to the final but didn't want to coast either.

"I have a lot of integrity and I pride myself on that and I don't like to give up," she said. "Even though it wasn't working for me, I wasn't going to quit."

In other events, Michael Phelps qualified for the 100 butterfly semifinals, which will be Thursday night EDT.