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Campbells and Horton just outside of medals

 

Campbells and Horton just outside of medals

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Campbells and Horton just outside of medals
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SWIMMING: Australia has fallen short of the podium in the last of the individual events at the Rio Aquatic Arena with the Campbell sisters just behind the place-getters in the 50m freestyle and 400m gold medallist Mack Horton finishing fifth in the 1500m freestyle.

Australia’s Cate and Bronte Campbell have finished fifth and seventh respectively in the final of the women’s 50m freestyle, with Cate narrowly missing a place on the podium by just 0.04 of a second.

“You know what, the 50 is kind of a lottery and it hasn’t been my week obviously, my number wasn’t up this time,” Cate said.

“I couldn’t be too disappointed with the 50, it is only .3 off my best. But I have only swum that time only once, when I was in amazing form so in saying that, I executed a good race and I can’t be too hard on myself.”

The gap between the field was just 0.62 of a second with the gold medal eventually going to Pernille Blume (24.07) from Denmark at the touch.

The silver medal went to Simone Manuel (24.09) from the USA with Aliaksandra Herasimenia (24.11) bagging the bronze to round out the top three.

Bronte said she gave it her all, and has learnt many lessons from this week of racing in Rio.

“That was a fast race, that was not how I wanted my 50 to go but sometimes there's just not very much you can do,” Bronte said.

“I'm very happy for Pernille that was fantastic she's a really, really sweet girl and I'm really glad she got to step up and achieve her dream tonight, it wasn't my dream for her to achieve it but sometimes that's okay. It's been a really good learning experience for me this week.

“I gave my all and my all wasn't a gold or a silver or a bronze - but it's not nothing.”

Pausing for a moment in the pool post-race, Bronte put her results in perspective and embraced the fact she had just raced in an Olympic final – something not many people could say they have done.

“Yeah you got to stop for a second and just take in the moment, Bronte said.

“I mean I'm swimming in an Olympic final and that doesn't happen very often you can't it for granted. I didn't place in that Olympic final but that's not really what it's about. I may never get to be in an Olympic final again you just don't know so just took a second just to soak it all in and really take advantage of the fact that I got this far at least.”

After this week Bronte, who is still the reigning world champion in both the 50 and 100m freestyle from 2015, said she now knows what it will take for her to achieve her dreams in the future.

“Last year was a very good year for me, I was in very good condition and it was great racing like that. It's very tough racing when you're not in peak condition. That's something I haven't had to do in a very long time and that's something I'm going to have to continue learning how to do if I want my career to keep on going.”

Cate will now turn her attention to her last race, the freestyle anchor leg of the women’s 4x100m medley relay.

Horton was unable to continue Australia’s amazing record in our most successful Olympic event, finishing well behind Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri but the 400m gold medallist may have won a couple of free dinners from good mate and winner, Paltrinieri.

Paltrinieri was a convincing winner of the in the 1500m swimming marathon, even though he dropped off his world record pace in the final 200m, with Horton finishing fifth.

The pair will leave for a holiday in Italy soon and Horton quipped after the final night of racing in the pool: “He’s a good friend of mine, so I’m very happy for him; he deserves it.

“We’re actually holidaying after this together in Italy so I guess he can buy dinner for a couple of nights.”

Horton, who had been suffering from a cold, admitted swimming to 1500m events in successive days took it out of his body and contributed to his final time being 1:07 behind his heat time yesterday.

He was unable to continue Australia’s amazing record in our most successful Olympic event, a tradition that has produced 25 medals - of which eight are gold.

Paltrinieri, the hot favourite, led from the first 50m and was inside world record pace before fading slightly and winning in 14:34.57 - nearly four seconds outside of Sun Yang’s world record time of 14:31.02.

American Connor Jaeger was second in 14:39.48 and another Italian, Gabriele Detti, picked up the bronze medal in 14:40.86.

Horton, who moved into second position at the 400m mark, had dropped to fourth at the halfway mark and could not keep up the pace and finished in a time of 14:49.54, with American Jordan Wilimovsky taking fourth. Horton recorded 14:49.54.

“Yesterday was a lot easier than that swim obviously otherwise I would have gone faster,” Horton said. “I think after the 4x200, the next day I was feeling a bit rough. I’ve just been trying to hold it together since then.

“I’m still pretty happy with that it’s been a massive week, lots of ups and downs for the team but I think everyone has handled it very well.

“I thought I kind of kicked it yesterday (head cold) but two 1500s in two days is just a stack.

“Usually I’m the one that goes out fast. That’s when I knew I was in a bit of trouble, when he was able to go out faster than I was.

“It would have been nice to stick to try and stick to them and I was trying to stick to Connor (Jaeger) and I just couldn’t stick on them. It was just a lot easier to swim yesterday and it was a second faster.”

After winning gold in the event in four successive Olympic Games from 1992 to 2004 from dual efforts from Kieren Perkins and Grant Hackett, followed by Hackett’s silver in Beijing in 2012, Australia has gone two Games without getting a medal.

But the 20-year-old Horton departs Rio giving his nation every confidence that will be about to change in four years’ time.

And he reflected on his first Olympic experience with pride.

“I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this team,” he beamed. “You know, the way everyone’s handled when things have gone to plan and when things haven’t gone to plan.

“This is what a team looks like basically. We always want better performances but I think with how it has gone everyone’s handled it very well.”

Kathleen Rayment and Neil Cadigan
olympics.com.au

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