This swim had it all: an underdog who had no right to win, a masterful game plan, and a fittingly exuberant coach to go with it. Oh, and an Australian gold medal.
The 1980s weren’t exactly a high point for Australia’s swimmers. Jon Sieben was the only Aussie to claim swimming gold in 1984, and the tally from the pool would be just as low four years later.
That single gold medal, though, was truly memorable.
Going into the Olympics in Seoul, few would have thought Duncan Armstrong had any chance in the men’s 200 metres freestyle. He was ranked 25th in the world in the discipline, and his best time over the distance wasn’t anything near good enough.
In fact, had Armstrong swum his previous personal best in Seoul, he would have missed the final.
As it was, he bested that time in the heats and qualified in lane six, but victory still seemed unlikely. Up against Armstrong were a host of big names, including America’s Matt Biondi, the 100 metres world record-holder.
But Armstrong’s coach, Laurie Lawrence, devised a plan to capitalise on Biondi’s pace. Armstrong would swim as close to the American as possible, almost surfing in the wake of Biondi.
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The plan worked. With Lawrence going ballistic in the stands, Armstrong kept with the much-fancied Biondi for much of the race before ever so gradually pulling ahead in the final lap to hit the wall first.
Just for good measure, he then put on another late burst of speed a few days later to claim silver in the 400 metres final.
For a rank outsider, the gold-and-silver haul was mightily impressive.
Be sure to follow The Roar as we look back on some of the most memorable moments in Olympic history – be they weird and wacky or brilliant and significant – and count down the days until the Rio Olympics opening ceremony.