The Fab Four
The Age
Friday August 15, 2008
THIS was the gold medal that came from nowhere, the world record that just happened.
No one could explain it afterwards any more than they had predicted it. There is something in the water in Beijing, causing not illness as most expected but very fast swimmers. As 18-year-old Kylie Palmer left the athletes' village yesterday morning for her first swim at an Olympic Games, the thought of a medal was so far from her mind that she left behind her presentation tracksuit and had to borrow pants from fellow swimmer Cate Campbell and a top from Matt Targett, both several sizes too big. "Lucky I had my swimming costume," she said later. Palmer was to swim in the final of the 4x200 metres freestyle relay, in which the US was unbeaten in Olympic competition and favourite again. "We'd hoped for a medal," head coach Alan Thompson said afterwards. "We'd just hoped for a medal." The 4x200 was the last event of what became a wrenching morning for Australia. World record-holder Eamon Sullivan had been nudged out of gold in the 100 metres final by France's Alain Bernard, 196 centimetres, 90 kilograms, nicknamed Horse and in all ways Sullivan's biggest rival. "When the muscles came into it, Bernard had a few more muscles than Eamon did," observed Thompson. Salt for the wounds of Sullivan, an avid West Coast fan, was to have to listen to the Brisbane Lions theme song on the podium. Sullivan finished the day with merely a silver medal and ex-girlfriend Stephanie Rice with three gold, equalling Shane Gould's record for an Australian swimmer at one Olympics and entering her at 20 in Australian sporting legends. But Sullivan gets another chance today in the 50 metres thrash.Jessicah Schipper had been beaten in the 200 metres butterfly by two little-known, but suddenly much-loved, Chinese, who lowered Schipper's world record in the event. "It was a two-year-old record," said Schipper nobly. "It was probably due to be broken."So to the 4x200, the epilogue that became the story. Australia's brains trust had planned ahead, bringing eight swimmers, four for the heats, four others for the final. Still, the brains trust finessed, thinking to have Rice swim as the anchor, or last leg, then sending her in first. She had never led a relay before. She swam a personal best. Next in was Bronte Barratt. "I was so nervous. I think my feet were shaking on the blocks," she said. "I just wanted to give Kylie and Macca the best lead possible." Mid-way, Australia suddenly led, having trailed by a bitten fingernail. This confounded the coaches, whose tactics were predicated on the certainty that the US would be ahead by now. "I've got to tell you, our thoughts were to have Kylie in the third leg because we knew what a scrapper she was," said Thompson. "She'd pick up some ground for us if we were behind." At the last change, Australia led by more than three seconds, around four body lengths. "Macca" is Linda McKenzie, even more of a Queenslander than the others, with a drawl and a history. Australia had mastered the US once in this event, at the world championships in 2001, only to be disqualified for jumping into the water before all teams had finished. McKenzie was the only survivor. It was in the back of her mind, but not the front. The Chinese and Americans were coming, a formidable front. Pang Jiaying, the disqualified swimmer from Trickett's event, made up 1.6 seconds in the first 100, ill-starred American Katie Hoff nearly as much. McKenzie would be swamped, that much seemed certain. "I had no idea what was going on in the race," she said. "I was just concentrating on what I had to do." That was to conserve energy in the first 100, knowing her rivals had to expend it. In the last 100, they did not make up so much as a knuckle on the dogged McKenzie. Australia not only won, but smashed the US's world record by an astonishing 5.78 seconds. On the pool deck, three hugged and screamed, while McKenzie, still in the pool, stared at the scoreboard in disbelief. The celebrations seemed to take half a day, the press conferences the other half. Rice, exhausted, went to bed. "It's one of the biggest roller-coaster rides I've had in swimming," said the veteran Thompson. On a roller-coaster, heart, stomach and head are never in the same place at the same time. So it was yesterday.GIANT KILLERS OF THE POOL - FOUR TYPICAL KIDS AT HEART KYLIE PALMER 18-year-old from Brisbane who smartly lists food as the one thing she can't live without.Nominates Cathy Freeman as her favourite athlete and Susie O'Neill as favourite swimmer.Achieved her goal in the sport by making the team, and yesterday collected a bonus. Says she no superstitions or interesting facts about herself, and likes to relax by "doing nothing, sitting and eating". The three words she chooses describe herself are "determined, pleasant kind" and her personal ambition in life hinges not on medals or victories but on being able to "help children".BRONTE BARRATT A 19-year-old who trains with Kylie Palmer in Brisbane. This university student loves the Brisbane Lions and Brisbane Broncos, pizza and lasagne, going to the beach, shopping and dancing. Her grandmother, Margaret Johnson, competed for Australia at the 1956 Olympics in the long jump, finishing 15th.Rose to prominence last year when she broke Tracey Wickham's 29-year-old 400 metres Commonwealth record at a meet in Japan. Is motivated by the famous William Allen White quote: "I am not scared of tomorrow for I have seen yesterday, and I love today."LINDA McKENZIE She may reside in Canberra at the AIS, but three words describe the 24-year-old known as "Macka" - "proud North Queenslander". Born and bred in Mackay, she loves the Cowboys rugby league team and considers her greatest asset as the "nevergive- up North Queensland spirit". Relaxes by listening to music, oil burning and watching funny movies, and while there isn't much of Macka - she's only 161 centimetres and 53 kilograms - in the pool she fights well out of her weight division. She will now be forever an Olympic gold medallist, but would like to be remembered as a good person who gave it her best shot.STEPHANIE RICE The 20-year-old Queenslander is scared of dogs because she was bitten when six months old and needed stitches in her head. Admits to being obsessive about routines and is studying nutrition. Concedes she could not live without the phone or internet, and would like to be remembered as "someone who was supportive to everyone". She and boyfriend Eamon Sullivan split just before the Games to focus on winning.It has worked. Loves Prison Break, The OC, America's Top Model and Grey's Anatomy, owns a dog called Missi and lists her greatest asset as being aware of her weaknesses.
© 2008 The Age
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