SUPER G - GIAAN ROONEY FAN SITE
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The United States, bouyed by a magnificant swim from Lindsay Benko (1:57.41), which would have seen her win the 200m freestyle individual event by 1 second, came awfully close to wiping the drug-tainted East German's World Record from the books.
Rachel Komisarz (1:59.34), Rhiannon Jeffery (1:59.14) and Diana Munz (1:59.81) were the other team members to lead the Americans to a time of 7:55.70, a championship record, with the 7:55.47 WR looking mighty shakey for Athens 2004!
It was also cause for celebration in the Australian's corner, with all swimmers having sub-2 minute swims, a first for a women's Australian team, highlighted by Elka Graham's 1:59.06, with Alice Mills anchoring and eclipsing her previous best of 2:01.69 with a 1:59.52. Linda Mckenzie and Kirsten Thomson also impressed with 1:59.90 and 1:59.94 respectively for a team total of 7:58.42.
China won bronze with a time of 7:58.53.
Giaan Rooney was not a memeber of the finals team, Nicole Livingstone staying on Ch 9 that Kirsten Thomson had won her spot in the team after a time trial the previous day, with Alice Mills finding out after lunch on the day that she would be swimming in the final, so it left Elka and Linda to fly the flag so to speak! for the team of 2001.
In an Australian record time, it was a great result for the Aussies with spirits high in the post-race interview with Duncan Armstrong, Kirsten Thomson and Linda Mackenzie expressing how happy they were to be in the team and back on the Australian team, while Elka was pleased with her swim, and then there is little Alice's P.B. which I've already mentioned! :)
Soon attentions turned to the presentations, and I've gotta say from the moment the teams were walking out to the presentation area, the Australian team leading, and the camera showed Elka with Kirsten Thomson and Lindsay Benko, a good friend of Elka's, supporting her on either side as she tentatively made her way towards the dais, it was pretty clear she wasn't in a very good way.
But determined to receive her silver medal - maybe even more so after missing the presentation on day 1 for the 4 X 100m freestyle relay due to a drug test - Elka took her place behind the podium.
No doubt everyone knows what is to follow, as it a big story, especially here in the Australian media.
But it was with alarm and concern that I, and maybe many other people, watched with as Elka struggled to stay on her feet, her team mates supporting her but she was to collaspe and was rushed from the podium, with the remaining Aussie girls looking distressed, which is of course completely understandable, along with all those watching in the stadium and in lounge rooms around the world, yours truly sitting in her lounge room at about 4am, well and truely thinking "oh my god" etc. etc. and hoping that everything would be ok, just as I thought it couldn't get much more emotional Alice's eyes glazed up with tears with Linda comforting her as the Aussies stood with their arms wrapped around each other, Lindsay reaching out and squeezing Kirsten's hand just before the Americans sung their anthem.
As anyone who has read a certain post of mine on a swimming forum, (USA or swimclub ? ;)) will know - I've become quite the softy, so by now I was a bit ... ahh shall we say tired and emotional!? ha ha...
This following quote from an article written by Ray Chesterton, which appeared in The Daily Telegraph on the 26/7 is very true I think ...
full article available here
Thankfully, by about 9am that day [Friday] it was confirmed that Elka is ok, the latest reports saying she will swim on, with more tests to come -- Graham, like the rest of the Worlds team, will compete in the Australian short course Championships in Hobart next week.
A report tonight on Ch 9 news had a camera at a Australian team meeting, a lighter moment being when Elka got up to speak and said how the relay was great last night and the presentation was as well - or something to that affect! Bought a chuckle to the meeting :)
Congratulations again to the teams on their great performances :)
Related info:
- Elka's Anguish - The Daily Telegraph
- Graham to swim before tests - AAP
- Officials defend Graham selection after collapse - SMH
- Omega Timing: Women's 4 X 200m freestyle relay results (Adobe required)
- BCN03: Official website
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