Matt’s perfect touch for dead-heat silver as Cody looks to Paris
AUSTRALIAN national butterfly champion Matthew Temple had a perfect touch at the finish of the men’s 100m butterfly final to deadheat with English star James Guy for the silver medal.
Temple, who has fine-tuned his electric turns, said he was “over the moon”.
“I think underwater and the turns are one of my specialties. So I tried to use that to my advantage and get in front of everyone else.
Cody Simpson, who finished fifth, described his first international final as “an amazing experience”.
“I told my coach before the race and he said whatever happens, it is gathering intel, gaining experience. And I’m glad I went out there and put together the best race I could tonight. Just off my PB, so I cannot ask for much more, aside from learning how to deal with the experience and pressure bit. It is very exciting.”
He said it was more nerve wracking to perform before a crowd at the Commonwealth Games than perform in front of 10,000 screaming teens.
“Right now, I think it is this (that is more nerve wracking). I think with experience comes confidence. And I’m still gathering the experience … I’ve already way ahead where I thought I would be at this stage.”
In a clear sign that he is a team player, Simpson made sure that Temple was interviewed by poolside media before him. His girlfriend Emma McKeon, who was in the crowd, said she was “way more nervous” watching him than in her own events. “But yeah it was so good. I love sharing this experience with him as well. I’m happy for his result. I haven’t actually seen him yet but I’m sure he’d be happy at what is his first international experience.”