Big event nerves too much for Elijah
AS the jubilant Australian swim team celebrated an opening trifecta of Olympic medals – a gold medal world record-smashing effort by the 4x100 relay women, a silver to Jack McLoughlin, who was beaten by a mystery Tunisian, and a bronze to bolter Brendon Smith – spare a thought for Elijah Winnington.
Of all the prospects leading into the Tokyo Olympics in the men’s program, the 21-year-old Queenslander was being touted as a medal shoo-in.
His Australian trial success,
beating McLoughlin and the defending Olympic champion Mack Horton in the 400m freestyle had marked him as the world No.1 and the brightest up-and-coming prospect in the squad.
But Winnington, a normally relaxed swimmer who takes competitions in his stride, has struggled with the Tokyo environment.
Because of NBC broadcast requirements, the swimming program has heats in evenings and finals in the mornings.
Of all the events, those in the 400m are squeezed with having a long endurance event on one evening and then having to back up the next morning, usually after very little sleep.
Winnington seemed to tighten up in his 400m freestyle heat, and the final was no different.
He tried to blast his way through this malaise with a sharp 150m, even leading the pack at a below world record pace, but the early exertion began to tell.
“It’s tough,” Winnington said on pool deck afterwards.
“It’s my first international final, so obviously a little bit disappointed, but that’s sport.
“You’ve got to get over it and I’ll be back stronger.”