Pride comes after fall

SWIMMING: Five-gold hero Mitch Larkin has revealed he was driven to become Australia’s most successful swimmer at the Gold Coast Games after returning from last year’s World Championships embarrassed by his performances.

Larkin headed to the world titles as defending champion in the 100m and 200m backstroke, but did not make the podium in either event and failed to even make the final of his pet 200m.

“I’ve got a lot of pride in the way I swim and in some ways I was embarrassed in representing myself on that world stage and not doing my country proud,” the 24-year-old said. “I was very low, (my) confidence was at an absolute low.”

Having won the 200m backstroke in 2015 in 1min53.58sec, Larkin finished almost six seconds behind that time in Budapest last year and was left questioning his swimming future.

“I knew I’d pushed that time at training ... it didn’t represent me as an athlete,” he said.

Even at his lowest point though, Larkin never lost belief.

A meeting with coach Dean Boxall on his return from Budapest helped fuel the conviction he could return to the top.

The St Peters Western coach’s seemingly outlandish claim last year that Larkin could not only return to the peak of his powers but win five gold medals at the Commonwealth Games only fuelled the desire of a man convinced his best was yet to come.

“I wouldn’t have met with Dean if I didn’t think I had more to give,” Larkin said. “I haven’t reached my full potential, I don’t think yet, and I love the sport. There hasn’t been one day in training over the last six months that I’ve hated. It’s been hard, it’s been tough but it’s been awesome.

“For him (Boxall) to get me back to swimming at my best and swimming the way I love, it’s awesome and I think we’ve got some more stuff to come.”

Larkin’s haul of five gold medals falls just short of Ian Thorpe’s six in Manchester in 2002, but even Thorpe can’t match Larkin on one front.

Thorpe was part of three gold medal-winning relays in 2002, but Larkin had four individual wins, including a historymaking treble in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke.

While he is the superman of the swim team, Larkin is a realist and knows his times are not yet competitive on the world stage.

“I know I’m not swimming super-fast world-class times at the moment but it’s all going to plan and obviously I’m building each swim from here to Tokyo (Olympics),” he said.

“It’s incredible, the week has been perfect. It’s certainly sparked my confidence again and I love the way I’m swimming and it’s fantastic.”