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Is James Magnussen back to his best?

James Magnussen has missed out on individual qualification in the 100 metres. (Image: Swimming Australia)
Expert
26th July, 2014
12

Could we see something special from James Magnussen when the 100 freestyle gets underway at Glasgow on Saturday night?

The 23-year-old Australian has had a chequered career, with the low-light the 2012 London Olympics.

But on Friday night we got a glimpse that Magnussen’s on the way back when he hauled in the tearaway South Africans in the final of the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Swimming the third leg after Tommaso D’Orsogna and Matt Abood, Magnussen’s input gave anchorman Cameron McEvoy an armchair ride to gold in Games record time.

Both Magnussen and McEvoy will do battle for gold in the 100m freestyle final. Last time they met, McEvoy was successful at the Australian Championships.

But there’s a strong indication Magnussen is ready to throw his big 197-centimetre, 90-kilogram frame at his far smaller opponent, who stands at 185 centimetres and weighs 85 kilograms.

Friday night was another gold haul for the motivated Australians with four in the pool, another at the velodrome, and Laura Coles’ success at the skeet shooting.

Leiston Pickett started the golden ball rolling in the pool by taking out the 50m breaststroke, before Thomas Fraser-Holmes upset McEvoy in the 200m freestyle, with the latter a firm favourite.

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Maddison Elliott won the S8 100m freestyle in world record time, more about this delightful teenager in a moment, and the men topped off the night with their relay gold.

At the velodrome, the 4000m individual pursuit final was like a world heavyweight boxing title fight as it meant something. Correct that, meant everything.

The two Australians made it memorable – Jack Bobridge the world record holder, and Alex Edmondson, the world champion.

Bobridge was successful, leaving Edmondson with silver to join his sister Annette, who also won silver in the 3000m individual pursuit.

The biggest disappointment of the night was Alicia Coutts, the defending champion, failing to medal in the 100m butterfly final.

Winner of five golds at Delhi four years ago, Coutts wasn’t in the hunt, while 19-year-old Emma McKeon came from nowhere to win bronze, to go with her two golds so far at Glasgow.

Now to Maddison Elliott, a 15-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer. When she hit the wall in the S8 100m final and saw she had just set a world record of 1.05.32 she burst into a flood of tears.

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The pool was in danger of overflowing. By the time Maddy got to Channel Ten poolside interviewer Mark Howard she was still in tears of joy.

In a fabulous interview Howard gave Maddy a hug to relax her and out came the most beaming smile at the complex. She thanked all the right people, adding she has met Prince William, but now wanted to meet his grandmother.

So too a massive word of praise for the silver medalist behind Maddy – England’s Steph Slater, who suffered nerve damage to her left arm from cerebral palsy.

Steph swum the 100m with only her right arm to give Maddy a real run for her money. How Steph kept in a straight line was no mean feat in itself.

Two wonderful competitors who have made the most of what they haven’t got. For all the whingers in the world, take a leaf out of their books.

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