Another Aussie gold goes begging in London
Columnist By David Lord, 31 Jul 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert
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- Emily Seebohm, London Olympics, Olympic Games, Olympics, swimming
Australia's Emily Seebohm. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI
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Emily Seebohm, yet another solid Aussie gold prospect in the pool and the Olympic Games record-holder set in the heats, had to be content with silver as the tall American, Missy Franklin, swum the race of her life to grab gold in the 100 backstroke overnight.
Franklyn touched in 58.33, Seebohm in 58.68.
Belinda Hocking, the second Australian in the final, finished seventh in 59.29.
“I feel bad that my parents are here (in London) and for all those people in Australia who got up so early to support me,” said a choked and very emotional Emily.
Leisel Jones’ final appearance in her record fourth Olympics was a fifth in the 100 breaststroke final won by the 15-year-old from Lithuania Ruta Meilutyte for her country’s first gold medal in the pool in her first Olympics.
Nobody could blame her for looking like a rabbit in the headlights. She had stunned herself.
The winning time was 1.05.47, Jones 1.06.95.
At the medal presentation, Ruta was a flood of tears. So much has happened so quickly for the long blond-haired teenager.
Frenchman Yannick Agnel had a shock taste of Olympic gold two nights ago in the 4×100 freestyle relay, and liked it so much he won 200 freestyle gold last night, ending China’s Sun Yang’s aspirations of gold in the 200, 400, and 1500.
Sun tied with Korea’s Park Taehwan for silver in 1.44.93.
Australia’s Thomas Fraser-Holmes finished seventh.
In semi-final action:
* Australian Bronte Barratt surprised even her staunchest supporters by being fastest qualifier for the 200 freestyle final, with 1.56.08. Compatriot Kylie Palmer also made the decider with 1.57.44 as seventh fastest.
* Defending champion, Stephanie Rice, and Alicia Coutts, both qualified for the 200 IM final. Alicia was second fastest behind China’s Ye Shiwen, who broke Stephanie’s Olympic record set in Beijing of 2.08.45 with 2.08.39.
* The balloon has finally burst for controversial selection Nick D’Arcy in the 200 fly, finishing 13th fastest of the two semis with 1.56.07, compatriot Chris Wright 16th with 1.58.56. Defending champion Michael Phelps was only fourth fastest with 1.54.53, behind Japan’s Takeshi Matsuda’s 1.54.25.
* Tonight, can James Magnusssen and James Roberts start recharging their Olympic hopes after that disastrous relay performance?
Out of the pool:
The Opals hit a speed bump in their bid for basketball gold, beaten in a nail-biting thriller 74-70 by France in overtime. It was the first time since 1996 the Aussie girls have lost a prelim game.
But the moment that will become folklore belonged to Opal, Belinda Snell.
With one second left on the clock in regulation time, she buried a monster three-pointer from her side of half-way that sent the almost capacity crowd into raptures and the 65-65 scoreline into five minutes of OT.
The Opals’ chances in extra time were not enhanced by two of their tall timbers and top-scorers, in captain Lauren Jackson and Elizabeth Cambage, both being fouled out late in regulation.
Having said that, this was one helluva game of basketball, and the French were magnificent.
The hotly-fancied Kookaburras opened their hockey gold campaign with a thumping 6-0 win over South Africa, with skipper and five times world’s best, Jamie Dwyer, netting a hat-trick.
London is Rick Charlesworth’s third Olympics as national coach, taking the Hockeyroos to successive gold medals in 1996 and 2000.
Charlesworth took over the Kookas in 2009, and they haven’t lost an international tournament since. The good doctor has the Midas touch.
The Australian equestrian individual and eventing team are also looking good after the dressage and cross-country sections, with the third and final day – the show-jumping tonight – to decide the medals.
Highlight of the day for the locals was Zara Phillips, the Queen’s grand-daughter, and Princess Anne’s daughter, cover the demanding cross-country event with a perfect score.
Phillips, along with Australians Chris Burton and veteran Andrew Hoy, in his seventh Games, are in contention for individual gold tonight.
The Australian team is sixth, making a bronze medal the best possible bet.
In brief:
* A trim new-look and capless Lleyton Hewitt has stopped the Australian rot at Wimbledon with a gutsy 6-3 4-6 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky after both Sam Stosur and Bernard Tomic were first round casualties, Tomic for the sixth successive tournament. Top seed Roger Federer is into the third round and on track to realise the one major trophy he doesn’t own – an Olympic singles gold medal.
* Three Australian rowing crews have qualified for finals – the men’s eights, Drew Ginns’ four, the double sculls of Kim Crow and Brooke Pratley, and the women’s four of Dana Faletic, Kerry Hore, Pauline Frasca, and Amy Clay, via the repercharge.
* A nervous Australian water polo team lost 5-8 to world champions Italy, with the Australian scorers Richie Campbell, Tim Cleland, Rhys Howden, Aidan Roach, and Johnno Cotterill.
* The Stingers, the Australian women’s water polo team, reversed that decision with a 10-8 victory over Italy – captain Kate Gynther netting a hat-trick.
>> Listen to Emily Seebohm chatting with the ABC following her silver medal.
London 2012 Olympics – Day 4 Gallery
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- Emily Seebohm, London Olympics, Olympic Games, Olympics, swimming
July 31st 2012 @ 8:03am
Brendon said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:03am | Report comment
David,
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been talking about. Seebohm went 58.23 in her heat. 0.45 faster than her final time. She went 58.39 in her semi 0.29 seconds faster than final time of 58.69. If she had done 58.39 in the final as well she would have still collected silver but at least she would have been consistent and pushed the American girl.
Seebohm broke the Olympic record in her heat. Who the hell breaks an Olympic record in the heats but cant get close to that time in the final?
How else do you explain that Seebohm’s final time was slowest out of her 3 swims other than that she choked and choked bad? If she used too much energy in the heats and semis then there is something drastically wrong in the competence department of Seebohm and her coaches.
Its not like Seabhom is some inexperienced kid. Shes a two time gold medallist from relays including the 4x200m free from Beijing. This is her second Olympics and while she is only 20 she has been to world champs and is an experienced swimmer on the international stage.
Every Olympics the Australian swim team underperforms. Did you know since 1976 we’ve only had 5 different male swimmers win individual gold, no new male swimmer win an individual olympic gold since 2000 when Thorpe and Hackett won and no male individual gold since Thorpe in the 200 and 400 frees in 2004.
Until Australian swimmers confront their choking problem we will continue to underperform. We also need proper sports journalism looking into this issue that has plagued Australian Olympic swimming since 1996, though in 2004 our women did perform well.
Swimming Australia needs to hold an independent and professional inquiry into these problems.
I still remember Elli Overton in 1996 having a cry in a post race interview saying how dare the Australian public criticise the swimmers for not performing. Nothing symbolised the closed workshop nature of Australian swimming and still does today.
I know someone is going to respond with cliches like “you’re not an elite swimmer how can you talk/she won a silver and did us proud how DARE you knock her etc. Thats not the issue. As I said if she had at least matched her semis that would be fine and still only get her a silver. Missy Franklin did a good time in the final (but was still 0.10 seconds slower than Seebohm’s heat)
July 31st 2012 @ 9:17am
Harry said | July 31st 2012 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Sadly, you are onto something Brendon. For sure there is a problem.
Some other examples of recent history of Australians entering Olympic finals as favourite but not coming away with gold:
- Michael Klim broke the 100 m freestyle record world record in the relay swim in 2000 but swam slower in the individual final.
- Leisel Jones in the 2008 200 metres final
- Libby Trickett in 2008 100 m freestyle final
- Ian Thrope in the 2000 200 m frestyle final
- Susie O’Neill in the 2000 200m butterfly final
Against that, what do we have as outperformers/winning as favourites? Jodie Henry in 2004, Stephanie Rice in 2008 (and she is having a red hot go at these games despite clearly not being able to get an optiumum preparation, to me she seems one of the few Australian swimmers able to handle pressure well), Grant Hackett in 2004 (and 2008 he performed magnificiently, didn’t like the fact that the bloke that beat him had a recent doping charge proven against him, and we’ve heard nothing about the 2008 winner since), Thorpe in 2004 .
Journalism and enquiries is one thing (Wayne Smith has a good article in The Aus today) but surely the chief responsibility lies with the coaching team and the swimmers themselves?
July 31st 2012 @ 3:44pm
lolly said | July 31st 2012 @ 3:44pm | Report comment
How can you even put Ian Thorpe in that iist? Are you for real? He’s won five gold medals at 2 Olympics. He won the 400m in both games. The expectations on our swimmers are getting completely out of hand.
July 31st 2012 @ 9:35am
David Lord said | July 31st 2012 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Great post Brendon,
July 31st 2012 @ 10:10am
jameswm said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:10am | Report comment
What about the ladies in the 4×100 free final? Did they choke? Or Magnussen at the world champs last year? What about Sprenger in the breaststroke final, did he choke? Did Alicia Coutts choke in the butterfly final?
You don’t get Brendon that when you are competing at this level, if you are slightly off you’ll get beat. That applies to Aussies and everyone else. And you have your good days and bad days. What about Phelps in the 400IM? Did he choke, when going in as overwhelming favourite and finishing 4th? If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
What about Perkins’ win from lane 8. Was that a choke?
We all expect our swimmers to win and everyone else to lay down and let them. Fact is, this is the Oympics and everyone is gunning for you.
Susie O’Neill is a poor example Harry. How can you say she was a choker in the 200 fly final, when she’d come from nowhere to win the 200 free? It just shows that the gap between success and failure at that level is small, and they have their good days and not so good days. Susie was on top of her game in the 200 free, slightly off in the 200 fly, and Misty Hymen had a cracker.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:35am
Harry said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:35am | Report comment
But thats the very point jwm … fully agree, you’ve got to be at your best to win an olympic final. Unfortunately, many of our swimmers don’t give their best performance in the final – today being a classic example. Seebohm, by her own admission (not me or some other internet jibberer), admitted that.
Lets get away from this emotional term “choke” … but there is clear evidence that too many Australian swimmers, particularly when they are the favourites, don’t do their best in the final, when it most counts and is there is the most pressure. The sooner that problem is analysed and addressed, the better.
Again, you say Susie O’Neill is a poor example. Disagree … she herself has made very clear she underperformed in that final, going in as favourite.
I don’t want to belittle or run down these fantastically hard working and elite athletes – to get to this level takes courage and hard work.
I’m really hoping Magnusson shows the form he is capable of in the individual events.
July 31st 2012 @ 11:05am
jameswm said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:05am | Report comment
My point about Susie is that she is not a choker. She had one cracking race and one a bit off her best. That’s swimming. Agreed we need to ditch the choker tag.
The point I should have made is that a lot of swimmers aren’t quite at their absolute best. Look at Rebecca Soni in the 100 breast final. She’s demolished everyone for 3 years and broken world records, but in this Olympic year she’s slightly off her best and an unknown Lithuanian comes in and takes her gold. Is Soni a choker too?
And let me put it right out there now that Barrett is no clear favourite for the 200 free final. She’s fastest qualifier by the skin of her teeth, but she’s right at her limit, Pellegrini and others will be tough to beat.
Brendon, I didn’t realise you were redefining the word choke to fit your own interpretation. Maggie was the favourite for the 100 free last year at worlds after being fastest in the heats and semis (like Seebohm here). He then, as favourite, came out and smashed them int he final.
July 31st 2012 @ 11:28am
Harry said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Agree with Bronte Barrett. She is a long way from favourite. Lets hope she can lift again in the final.
July 31st 2012 @ 3:02pm
Elisha Pearce said | July 31st 2012 @ 3:02pm | Report comment
I agree Jameswm that the definition of choke needs to be left alone. I pointed out how widely it can be used when we considered the 4x100m loss yesterday. But I do think it could be interesting to see a long form journo study the performance of Australian swimmers. You do bring up Missy Franklin not exactly being an outsider to beat Seebohm, good point. However comparing Franklin’s peaking at the right time and Seebohm’s ability to peak at the right time would be interesting. Could be a great study to replicate over a number of different swimmers.
A sport like swimming is so much based on preparation and then mental capacity on the day to handle the pressure. I infer that from watching and being a decent highschool distance runner.
Preparation and mental strength.
There are a couple of ways I’d be interested to see it investigated.
1. Do we ask our swimmers to peak a little too often? (Think All Blacks)
2. Are there things that distract them? (Cadel evens is an example in another sport of where being at 99% isn’t good enough.
3. Have we seen a lull in some areas of competition in Australian swimming? Why couldn’t someone beat Rice? (I actually do agree with someone above, she’s a real pro now). Leisel Jones is a freak athlete but why was she still clearly our best? Etc…
July 31st 2012 @ 10:50am
Brendon said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:50am | Report comment
No, they didn’t choke because there wasnt the expectation of 4×100 womens free to win. Going into the games everyone thought the 4x100m free womens relay was USA vs Netherlands.
No one thought Magnussen would win the world champs last year.
You cant choke when you arent expected to win. In my posts in David’s previous article yesterday I talked about how Australians struggle with being favourites and need to be underdogs.
You’re right, Susie O’Neill wasn’t expected to win the 200m free and won but was favourite to win the 200 fly but lost which only backs up the point.
July 31st 2012 @ 1:16pm
JVGO said | July 31st 2012 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
It’s the fans who are struggling with the concepts of favourites and underdogs Brendon, not the athletes. People need to get a grip that this is the Olympics. When young kids noone has ever heard of before are apologising for only getting silver people need to stop pontificating from their armchairs.
July 31st 2012 @ 2:10pm
jameswm said | July 31st 2012 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
Seebohm was 0.5% off her best – that’s 1/200th slower. These are the differences between gold and silver.
Fans expecting too much and blaming the athletes for their disappointments.
July 31st 2012 @ 3:49pm
lolly said | July 31st 2012 @ 3:49pm | Report comment
Absolutely. Emily Seebohm apologsing for not getting gold is creepy and says volumes about the pressure put on our athletes. What happens if the Kookaburras don’t win gold? Is that them branded failures?
July 31st 2012 @ 2:15pm
Punter said | July 31st 2012 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
So who choked for Australia to win those unexpected wins? The thing is favourites don’t always win, this is a fact in sport.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:14am
sheek said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:14am | Report comment
Brendon,
After we crossed swords yesterday, I’ve been wondering about this word ‘choke’. To me, to say an elite athlete chokes is like saying “army intelligence” – it’s an oxymoron.
To be an elite athlete you obviously need ability. You must also be mentally tough. Choking is the opposite of mentally tough. My definition of choking is someone who is scared, who runs from the battle. That’s my interpretation of choking.
If someone wants something so bad that they tighten up (like Adam Scott) or over thinks the situation (like Sam Stosur), then that’s not choking in my view. I might call that anxiety, but I wouldn’t call it choking.
So I’m interested to know your version of choking? Are you suggesting that Magnussen, Seebohm, Stoser, Scott, etc, etc, were all scared? That they ran from the battle of competition?
Because being scared is my interpretation of choking, & I wouldn’t normally associate that behaviour with elite athletes in sport. Contact sports might be different, but not sports where the opponent is time.
Otherwise, you have some good points. The Aussies are messing up their racing. Is this a tactical blunder? It’s not just Magnussen & Roberts, but now also Seebohm. It would be instructive to find out why.
On the other hand, the women’s relay team over-achieved to win gold. So I guess that balances things out somewhat…..
July 31st 2012 @ 11:06am
jameswm said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Sprenger overachieved too. It goes both ways. D’Arcy was poor, Rice pretty ordinary too, but has had a really messsed up preparation.
July 31st 2012 @ 11:33am
sheek said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:33am | Report comment
James,
It appears Rice is in a lot of pain from her shoulder. She’s one of our gutsiest athletes, but she’s hurting. It’s a shame.
July 31st 2012 @ 11:56am
Harry said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:56am | Report comment
No choker is Steph. Good luck to her and Coutts in the 200 IM final. I see a seppo coach is out questioning the Chinese 400 IM winner’s performance.
July 31st 2012 @ 2:11pm
jameswm said | July 31st 2012 @ 2:11pm | Report comment
Ask the local swimmers and they reckon Rice is the toughest there – male or female. Some have seen her get out and chuck during a session, rinse her mouth out, get back in and push herself harder.
July 31st 2012 @ 2:21pm
Harry said | July 31st 2012 @ 2:21pm | Report comment
I’m sure she’s thinking this will be her last ever race so if the dodgy shoulder goes again (and its clearly not been right for the last couple of years at least) so be it, but she won’t die wondering.
Coutts and Steph have no expectation on them, so hopefullythat will alow them to perform at their absolute best.
July 31st 2012 @ 1:23pm
Roger the Alien said | July 31st 2012 @ 1:23pm | Report comment
As Susie O’Neil once said (and she should know) the Americans take a funny pill before they race finals.
July 31st 2012 @ 8:10am
Brendon said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:10am | Report comment
My bad, Seebohm was part of the 2008 4×100 medley team not 4×200 free
July 31st 2012 @ 8:12am
King of the Gorgonites said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Another disappointing day for the Aussies. Very disappointing Australian swimming team. Team GB aren’t much better…..
July 31st 2012 @ 2:41pm
Roger the Alien said | July 31st 2012 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
The GB team aren’t ANY better, you mean.
July 31st 2012 @ 8:17am
King of the Gorgonites said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:17am | Report comment
And now the female beach volley valleys are about to go out. Another disgrace?
July 31st 2012 @ 8:19am
King of the Gorgonites said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Disgrace it was. You know we are in trouble when a 37 year old is still our best beach player. Great in her day, but there should have been a younger generation by now.
July 31st 2012 @ 8:33am
Brendon said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:33am | Report comment
You can see it in the basketball too. Sure, we lost Penny Taylor before the games but losing to France? 4/8/12 years ago France wouldnt have even got close.
July 31st 2012 @ 1:43pm
Albo said | July 31st 2012 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
Now there’s a team of regular chokers , the Opals !
Always go well to get to the finals stage, say against the USA , but cometh the hour, when it comes to proving themselves ( like last night) the big players under perform, including the “best player” in the world, who again failed last night when most needed ! 13 ponits / 5 fouls and out of the game , is not real great for the best in the game !
The Belinda Snell “hail mary” goal to force it into overtime, only highlighted her 1 from 8 conversion rate from the field before hand. The French had never beaten us til last night. We were lucky to remain that close to them in the end.
July 31st 2012 @ 11:36am
katzilla said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:36am | Report comment
Balden and Palmer are Australias national champions and best team, they gained automatic qualification though being in the top 15 ranked teams in the world.
Cook and Hinchley only just scrapped in in June.
July 31st 2012 @ 8:37am
Harry said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
Once again, an Australian swimmer goes slower in the final than in the heat.
Hope the team can turn things around. Need an inspirational performance from someone.
July 31st 2012 @ 8:39am
steve said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:39am | Report comment
I know this sounds terribly bad but i am beginning to develop a real dislike of the Australian swimming team and i’m not quite sure whether it is the swimmers or the media. Ray Hadlee and Rebecca Wilson are destroying my Olympic experience.
July 31st 2012 @ 4:37pm
lolly said | July 31st 2012 @ 4:37pm | Report comment
Cut the athletes some slack and put it down to the media. The athletes are trying their best.
July 31st 2012 @ 8:40am
sheek said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:40am | Report comment
David,
I’m wondering now if Channel 9 will request an urgent extraordinary investigation with the Australian Olympic team, & enquire why their ratings are dropping due poor Aussie performances, especially in the pool.
Heck, only joking….. I think…..!
July 31st 2012 @ 8:47am
Titus said | July 31st 2012 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Maybe if the swimmers concentrated more on being elite athletes and less on being C9 personalities they would fair better.
Seems like the team got a bit used to being the best swimmers in the world and started to enjoy the lifestyle a bit too much, now there are swimmers from other countries who want it more and are prepared to sacrifice more.
Sorry if that sounds harsh.
July 31st 2012 @ 9:04am
Steve said | July 31st 2012 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Brendon, your comments regarding The Opals lost to France display what is exactly wrong with some people’s perception of sport in Australia. Just because France were not that great 10 years ago does not mean they are not great now. Why should the results of yesteryear have any bearing in the results of today. Rugby union supporters are the worst, they seem to expect that because Australia used to beat Argentina and Italy comfortably they have some divine right to always belt these sides. We seem to be oblivious or naive to the fact that people can improve. Where did this arrogance come from?
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July 31st 2012 @ 10:52am
Brendon said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:52am | Report comment
The Opals team that won the 2006 world champs would have beaten that French team easily last night.
Its simple as that. We have our 2nd best player our injured before the games and you can tell the talent coming through just isn’t as good.
July 31st 2012 @ 4:25pm
nickoldschool said | July 31st 2012 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
Tend to agree with you Steve. Many aussie supporters/commentators take it for granted that some of their athletes WILL win against others… The 4x100m relay, the Opals v France, D’Arcy, Seebohm etc… It’s time to realise the world is a vast land and others do train hard too (harder for some) and have as much talent.
We all have 2 legs and 2 arms and chances are that in a +6 billion world, a 22M nation like ours isnt going to win everything. Time to wake up and realise we are not the only one good at sports. Or stick to footy and league.
July 31st 2012 @ 9:36am
ziggy said | July 31st 2012 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Agree that Hadley and Wilson are the pits. Poor Susie looks pretty ill at ease with them by her side. Who wouldn’t?
July 31st 2012 @ 10:12am
jameswm said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:12am | Report comment
At least someone has taken Hadley aside and told him how to pronounce a few of the names.
World record holder Paul Biedermann from Germany hasn’t been so lucky though…
July 31st 2012 @ 10:43am
M.O.C. said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:43am | Report comment
I heard Giann Rooney this morning say that an athlete was “Dutch” because they were from “Deutschland” – great commentary.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:57am
jameswm said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:57am | Report comment
When you come from the isolated island of Australia…
July 31st 2012 @ 12:19pm
katzilla said | July 31st 2012 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
Not as bad as the English bird they have commentating Equestrian for Foxtel.
Last night she referred to a competitor as ‘What ever her name is’ AFTER she had just fallen off her horse and was awaiting an Ambulance!
July 31st 2012 @ 1:50pm
Albo said | July 31st 2012 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
Classic commentating !
Once she fell she was going to be out of the competition !
So who cares anymore !
Next competitor please !!
July 31st 2012 @ 6:32pm
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | July 31st 2012 @ 6:32pm | Report comment
I can’t watch the swimming because Rebbeca Wilson is invovled,gutter journo.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:26am
superba said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:26am | Report comment
I have never read a more miserable begrudging journalistic effort than that by you David writing ” it took an Olympic record to deny Sprenger gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke final “.The facts are that the South African was the clear winner .Sprenger was not good enough to win on the day. He “did “Sprenger well , swam his own race and won . Record or no record. Champion the champion .Sprenger came second .van den Burgh swam a sensational race to win .Similar to that which happened to Seebohm in the womens 100m backstroke overnight . Missy swam a sensational race to win. A real champion .