Now that the Olympics have finished, Australia’s performance in different sports will be scrutinised and evaluated. In the swimming, consensus is that Australia had a disappointing meet.
While there was definitely disappointing aspects, there is more to it than that.
At the previous FINA 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Australia only managed two gold. That of James Magnussen in the 100m freestyle and the men’s 4x100m freestyle. We had eight silver including six from the women.
So Australia’s form going into the Olympics was not great and our expectations of matching Beijing were totally unrealistic.
Swimming Australia and the media should have managed expectations better and realised we have a problem converting silver to gold.
The failure to win gold by James Magnussen has received the most criticisms, much of it just, but some of it quite hostile. James Magnussen did 47.10 seconds in the Australian trials on 19th March.
This time is faster than any American time in history – including when the US swimmers were wearing the 2009 super suits.
The US trials held on between 25th June – second July, a month before the Swimming at the Olympics. On the 29th of June the men’s 100m freestyle was held and Nathan Adrian won with a time of 48.10. One whole second slower than Magnussen.
If you combine the times from our 100m free men’s trial with the US we would have had 4/6 places. This is why one of the reasons we were so heavily favoured. In the 4x100m relay on every leg we lost time to the Americans, including Nathan Adrian beating Magnussen in the leadoff 47.89 to 48.03.
Magnussen did beat the French lead-off swimmer Leaveaux but the final three French swimmers were much quicker. James Roberts lost 0.49 seconds on the final leg to the Russian swimmer and lost third place.
In the individual 100m free, Adrian came out and swam a huge PB of 47.52. Magnussen a good time of 47.53 for silver, but this is not even his second best time. Magnussen did 47.49 in the lead-off in the 4x100m men’s free relay in Shanghai in 2011, a swim that setup the win.
Why was Magnussen so far off his PB trial time of 47.10?
Adrian’s performance brings into question the wisdom of holding our trials so far out from the games, where our swimmers completely taper off. The Americans hold theirs closer to the Games and in heavy training.
Holding ours so far out means we’re going to do some good times thus creating massive pressure to not only repeat those times but to go better. Adrian didn’t have those problems.
Judging from his performance in the trials, who knew he was 47.50 swimmer? He didn’t have to deal with four months of intense pressure and media. Then again he also didn’t have the sponsorship deals Magnussen had.
You also have to question the ability of swimmers to peak twice within six months. In the case of James Roberts, who swam sub 48 in the 100m free trials but couldn’t even break sub 48 in relay legs, he had completely lost it by the time the Olympics arrived.
In four months many things can go wrong: health, confidence, motivation, personal problems. There is no guarantee a swimmer who was doing great times in March can repeat that in July.
World records were broken in eight different events and nine times (Soni broke the 200m breastroke record in semis and final) and there were numerous Olympic records broken, which is impressive.
I think the super suits and their influence had been over estimated. No doubt the suits used at the world champs in 2009 helped but records have continued to be broken. There’s no doubt that our trial times in March were over-estimated because of textile suits.
It is well known that Emily Seebohm broke the Olympic record in the 100m backstroke with a time of 58.23 in the heat and did 58.68 in the final but in the medley relay she did 58.57 in the heats and 59.01 in the final.
Ultimately it didn’t make a difference because we ended up two seconds behind the USA but still got silver. Interestingly, in the men’s medley relay Magnussen did a solid 47.22 but Adrian did a brilliant. 46.85.
Also, Magnussen’s was the only leg faster than the Japanese who took silver. In the 2011 World Champs Magnusssen did a 47.00 in the freestlye leg of the medley relay.
Ultimately this is the major issue that has plagued Australian swimming for many years. Australian swimmers who are favourites but do not perform in the final.
For all the world records and world championships by Libby Trickett and Liesel Jones they will walk away from their swimming careers with only one individual gold each, in Jones’ case from four Olympics.
Is it because our swimmers crack under pressure? Is it because our swimmers come into all meets at, or close to, 100% while the Americans and Europeans only step up for the Olympics?
No doubt there is a bit of both. But this gets back to Swimming Australia and the sporting media working hard to better inform the public and set reasonable expectations
At best we could have got four golds in the pool this Olympics and that includes the surprise 4x100m women’s free relay victory.
But Magnussen and Seebohm proved they were capable of winning and the reason why they didn’t must be psychological.
People can blame social media like Facebook and Twitter for distracting our athletes but are they suggesting American swimmers don’t use social media?
People can blame Gen Y but were the American swimmers 50+ baby boomers?
No, the other swimmers faced the same pressure, use the same social media and are the same age as our swimmers. Sally Pearson and Anna Meares faced pressure and won, pressure isn’t unique to swimmers and when an Australia swimmer does win they also enjoy greater rewards.
Will the men’s k4-1000 earn the riches that a gold medalist in the pools receives? No.
Seems like our swimmers don’t want any of the pressure going into and during an Olympics but want all the money and fame if they do win. This is the closed workshop mentality that has hindered Australian swimming for a long time.
I still remember Elli Overton after a swim in Atlanta in 96 crying how dare the Australian public criticise the swimmers for not performing and that to my still symbolises Australian swimming.
People criticise elite athletes that receive no money from the government, of course they’re going to evaluate Olympic athletes too. Sure a lot of people are just complaining because we didn’t win more golds but a lot of are asking “why didn’t swimmers (and other athletes) perform to the standards they have shown in the past?”
The truth is that we were light on talent in the pool in London.
We’ll go into Rio 2016 with no individual gold medalist since 2008 and no male gold medalist, individual or relay, since 2004.
Swimming Australia can “bunker” down and “work hard” and look to do well at next year’s world champs in Barcelona or the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but that won’t change anything when it comes to the Olympics.
We’ve seen many, many swimmers win world championships but fail to win Olympic gold. Swimming Australia needs to address its Olympic failures and do it publicly and do it now, otherwise this cycle will continue.
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