Libby Trickett’s name is all but erased from the world record books, but even in retirement she will be the one to catch in 2010.
She may only have a solitary short course swimming mark to her credit but the Australian remains the only woman to have broken the 53 second barrier for 100m freestyle in a textile suit.
Her time was not officially ratified by FINA, as she was racing against Michael Phelps at the Duel in the Pool in Sydney in 2007 when she clocked 52.99s, but it is a time nobody can take away from Trickett.
With the sport reverting to textile only suits in 2010, and possibly amendments being made to the record books, Trickett says she will forever consider herself the first woman to break 53 seconds in legal racewear.
“I unofficially went under 53 seconds, so I unofficially held the world record,” said Trickett of her best time before swimming became farcical with the advent of polyurethane suits in 2008.
“So unofficially I was the first one to go under 53 with the textile suits.
“I will still claim it and I will probably be telling my grandkids as well.”
As for the future, Trickett says FINA should not make any changes or alterations to the records.
She would rather the sport return its focus to athletes racing each other and not the clock.
Eventually, says Trickett, people will catch up to the technology-enhanced performances of 2008 and 2009.
“I think (the records) should just stay the same to be honest,” said Trickett.
“I think FINA made a few bad decisions and they have to live with those consequences.
“If we do that then we can really go back to focussing on the performances of the athletes and not thinking about whether a world record is going to be broken or not.
“Just focus on the racing and that beautiful competitive spirit we see so often at international swimming.
“Eventually we will get back to those times but maybe not for 10 years or so.”
LIBBY TRICKETT
Age: 24
Coach: Grant Stoelwinder
Events: 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly
Australian debut: 2002 Oceania Championships, Noumea, New Caledonia.Achievements:
Triple Olympic gold medallist: 100m butterfly, 4x100m medley (Beijing 2008), 4x100m freestyle (Athens 2004)
Eight-times world champion: 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m medley (Melbourne 2007); 50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley (Montreal 2005)
Former world record holder: 50m freestyle: 23.97s – set 29/03/08; 100m freestyle: 53.66s – set 31/03/04; 53.42s – set 31/01/06; 52.88s – set 27/03/08
Five-times Commonwealth champion: 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, 4x100m medley (Melbourne 2006)
2007 Australian Swimmer of the Year
First woman to break 53 seconds for 100m freestylePersonal best times:
50m freestyle: 23.97s (4th fastest all-time)
100m freestyle: 52.62s (2nd fastest all-time)
50m butterfly: 26.02s (21st fastest all-time)
100m butterfly: 56.73s (6th fastest all-time)
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