Larkin having the last laugh
TROUBLED by a messy break-up with teammate Emily Seebohm, Mitch Larkin had been written off ahead of the Pan Pacs in Tokyo – even by his national head coach.
But his stirring display in Japan has convinced his mentor and Dolphins assistant Dean Boxall that the 25-yearold has regained his “mongrel” ahead of the 2020 Olympics.
Not much was expected from Larkin at the four-day Pan Pacs, which ended on Sunday, after the former dual world champion’s very public split from Seebohm threatened to derail his preparation.
National head coach Jacco Verhaeren even dismissed the backstroke specialist’s chances in his new event, the 200m individual medley.
Asked if Larkin was an IM threat, a brutally honest Verhaeren said: “No. Not on the podium level, not at the world standard.”
But Boxall could only chuckle over the comment after Larkin clinched a shock 200m IM silver.