The coach of swimming’s newest sprint star James Roberts believes Australia’s pace-setting 100m freestyle swimmers have led the sport out of the dark days of super suits.
Roberts, 20, emerged as the second-fastest man in a textile suit as he finished second behind world champion James Magnussen in Monday night’s final at Olympic trials in Adelaide.
Magnussen clocked a scintillating 47.10 seconds to fall just short of Cesar Cielo’s world record of 46.91, set in a now-banned polyurethane swimsuit at the 2009 world championships in Rome.
Roberts, born on the same day as Magnussen, showed remarkable improvement in Adelaide to clock 47.63 seconds – the same time Magnussen did in winning the world title in Shanghai last year.
And Roberts’ coach John Fowlie said Australia would be heading to London with two swimmers who should be considered the fastest men in history.
“47.1 to me is the world record,” said Fowlie, based at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“Those couple of years (2008 and 2009) were just a farce as far as swimming was concerned and this is the great thing now because you’re talking about the athletes (not the suits).
“Magnussen and Roberts are phenomenal athletes and the suits have nothing to do with it.
“You can compare these guys with (Alexander) Popov and (Pieter) van den Hoogenband, (Matt) Biondi and all the greats that have come through the sport before them – and there’s no asterixes.
“It’s great to see the sport of swimming back to this point.”
Fowlie admitted to surprise at Roberts’ rapid improvement, despite him producing the goods in training leading into trials.
“It’s really rare that somebody will come out and just blow your absolute expectations,” Fowlie said.
“We knew he had prepared well, but we were looking maybe 48-low. For him to go 47.6 in a time that would have won the world championships was really unbelievable.”
Roberts’ individual selection for London helped ease the pain of missing out on Australia’s victorious 4x100m freestyle relay team in Shanghai.
He swam in the heats before being left out of the final in China as Australia’s relay coaches – including Fowlie – opted to go with the experience of Eamon Sullivan.
“Being sat out of the relay, it was tough,” Tweed Heads-born Roberts said.
“My coach was the one who made the decision but, at the end of the day, I couldn’t argue.
“It definitely made me want to come back and work harder and secure a spot on that team for London.”
Republican
Guest
Heaps. I know, my daughter was a squaddie from a youing age with early mornings and arfies training. Parents and their kids have to be extremely committed - to be sure.
jameswm
Guest
Do you know how much work it takes to be an elite swimmer?
Republican
Guest
Red Block I agree in part, that we are falling behind in the sport. Swimming is still extremely accessible and inherant to our culture compared to any country you care to mention however,we should not be complacent or assume the sports cultural status will be maintained. There needs to be more emphasis in schools across the country that sees the sport integral to the curriculum which will require government support. There is an expectation by government presently, that parents will get their kids skilled up in respect of swimming when the reality is that many are unable to afford sending their kids to lessons let alone squads. The sport is moving towards being elitist in this respct which is concerning.
jameswm
Guest
I should do an article on this GOLD Mens 100 free (Magnus) Mens 4 x 100 free Womens 4 x 200 free SILVER Mens 50 free (Magnus) Mens 100 free (Roberts) Womens 200 free (Barratt) Womens 400 free (Palmer) Womens 200 back (Hocking) Womens 400IM (Rice, though a legit gold chance considering how she's just recovered from shoulder op) BRONZE Mens medley relay Womens medley relay Womens 200 free (Palmer) Mens 400IM (Fraser-Holmes) Mens 200 fly (Darcy) CLOSE Womens 100 back (Seebohm) Womens 200IM (Rice and Coutts), legit medal chances I'd have thought maybe others, I didn't check everything If our mens medley relay was good enough, and Stoeckel, Wright and Rickard are pretty good, 4 golds for the Missile is not out of the question. I think the Yanks with Phelps on fly will be too tough though. Right now he'd be heavy favourite for 2 and about 50/50 on a 3rd.
jameswm
Guest
Based on the trials results we'd win about 9 individual medals and probably 4-5 relay medals. In the relays, Mens 4x100 and womens 4 x 200 would be favourites for gold, and mens and womens medley good medal shots too. Mens have Stoeckel, Wright, Rickard and Magnussen, all ranked in the top 10 in the world.
jameswm
Guest
Just hang on a sec My understanding is that we had several swims that were fastest or close to fastest in the world this year and at about WC level MENS 50 free (Magnussen) 100 free (Magnussen and Roberts) WOMENS 100 fly - Coutts and Schipper 100 back 200 back 200 IM (Coutts and Rice) 400 IM 200 free 400 free You've inspired me, I'm going to check our trial times against WC times from last year, and see where we really are.
Our Franzi
Guest
Red Block, let's break this down: Gold medals don't come cheap - estimates range from 20 to 50 million dollars apiece. Magnussen, inspired by Thorpies efforts in Sydney, and motivated by his comeback, could win 3 Gold in London, which makes the $100k spend on Thorpies comeback a great investment.
Red Block
Guest
It still won't hide the fact that this will be the weakest swimming team that Australia will send away in about 20 years. Only two swimmers (Magnussen & Rice) ranked in the world's top 10. Let's hope Swimming Australia wakes up and uses its' funds to develop young swimmers not those just boosting their profiles for sponsors and retirement. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
gg
Guest
47.10 is not "just short" 46.91 - in swimming terms that's a bit. FINA really messed up swimming with those fast suits, and tainted Beijing.
Republican
Guest
Can't wait for the Olympic meet.