Jack turns sights to new challenge
IT may make it easier for him to reach the podium in international events but Jack McLoughlin takes no joy from seeing Mack Horton jettison the 1500m from his program.
McLoughlin beat Horton in the event at the Commonwealth Games in April to win his first major international gold.
But he has enjoyed creating a friendly rivalry with a man who beat him by a full lap of the pool in the storied event just three years ago.
“It’s pretty sad for me because it’s such a hard event. I liked having a friend,” Brisbane-based McLoughlin said of Horton ditching the 1500m from his schedule heading to- wards the Tokyo Olympics to focus on the newly introduced 800m.
“It’s always fun in the marshalling room and I loved racing him and he and I raced really well together.
“I’m not excited about one of my competitors leaving, I don’t get like that.
“It’s sad because I like racing the best in the world and Mack was one of the best.
“But I’ve still got to do my job and it’s my main event and I’ll be pushing to take that on now.”
Traditionally the final event on a major meet program, the 1500m will be held on the opening day of the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo next Thursday.
And McLoughlin is determined to better his Commonwealth Games-winning time of 14min 47.09sec when he takes on American Jordan Wilimovsky in what is expected to be a tough battle.
The 2015 world open water champion over 10km, Wilimovsky has moved into the pool with success, finishing fourth in the 1500m at the Rio Olympics.
The 24-year-old had a training stint with Michael Bohl on the Gold Coast recently, with McLoughlin heading down from Brisbane on a few occasions to train with the American.
“He came and trained with Bohly last year and he’s a great guy,” McLoughlin said.
“He’s such a tough competitor and he obviously won worlds in the 10km in 2015 and then fourth in Rio and fifth in the open water (at the Olympics) and last year was second in the 10km, so that’s phenomenal,” McLoughlin said.
“But he’s a great guy, so I’m really excited to race him.”
After working on his turns and being willing to do “whatever it takes” in training under veteran mentor Vince Raleigh to prepare for the pool’s most gruelling event, McLoughlin hopes the Pan Pacs is where he will announce himself as one of the world’s top competitors.
“It’s amazing to be a part of it with all those names in history and now I’m just trying to forge my own path and get my name as a substantial one in that way rather than just be one of the group,” he said.
“You look at Hackett and Perkins as the pioneers and they’re in the top level but I want to be Jack McLoughlin.”