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Brenton Rickard wanted the world title because no-one could ever take it away from him. He got the world record as well, and that too, may be his forever.
Rickard became the first Australian in 45 years to win an Olympic or world breaststroke title, taking the 100m gold medal in 58.58 seconds on Monday as fellow Dolphins Stephanie Rice (200m individual medley), Jess Schipper (100m butterfly) and Matt Targett (50m butterfly) secured silver medals.
It took world records to beat Rice and Schipper, while Schipper and Targett were unlucky not to win gold as they both led until their final touches.
Five world records fell in the session, including Leisel Jones’s 100m breaststroke mark from 2006, taking the tally to 11 for the meet as the impact of swimming’s super-suits continues, but for Rickard he couldn’t care less about the history.
He came to Rome wanting only to win. Eight silver and three bronze medals in individual events at international meets since 2004 has made him single-minded.
“To finally have that shiny gold one around my neck after so many silver and bronzes is pretty satisfying,” said Rickard, who won silver at the 2008 Olympics in the 200m.
“All those silver and bronzes just taught me you have to work hard, you have to leave no stone unturned and just put your head down.
“The times don’t really matter. People win races not times. To get to the wall first was the real satisfying thing.”
The record, he says, is something he’ll look back on in the future.
He will have plenty of time for reflection as the expected swimsuit technology reversals could make his mark simply unattainable.
There’s a better chance Rickard will physically lose the gold medallion before he loses his world record.
“I have never really cared about the records,” he said.
“I have always said … that I was there to race and try to win medals and win titles. That to me is all that matters. You train to swim a time but you race to win.
“Obviously if this record survives until the end of the year and they do change the rules it might last a while. But this medal will last forever. That is something that can never be broken.
“I will now officially always be a world champion from 2009. That is a pretty mind-blowing statement to make and something I will really cherish.”
Making Rickard’s win more special is the fact it comes the in the 15th and final year of his partnership with coach Vince Raleigh.
Rickard has followed Raleigh from Brisbane, to Melbourne, to the AIS in Canberra in recent years, but will cut ties after this meet to move to the Gold Coast with his girlfriend and to ensure he is still swimming at the London 2012 Olympics.
“Both our careers have kind of tracked along the same path and to finally end up here with a gold medal at a world championships individually is just fantastic for the two of us,” he said.
“It is a rewarding way to end our 15 year relationship … I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”