Metal first, medal later for Willmer
July was a banger month for Metallica – and Josh Willmer.
The legendary heavy metal band got a big career boost with their Master of Puppets song being used on the massively popular Netflix show Stranger Things.
On the last day of the month in Birmingham, Willmer ‘‘chucked on some Metallica’’ before winning gold in the men’s 100m SB8 breaststroke final for New Zealand at the Games.
The 17-year-old produced a pounding race finish to beat Australia’s Tim Hodge by 0.07s, soon after fellow New Zealander Lewis Clareburt had won his second gold of the meet in an equally exciting manner.
Clareburt pipped South African veteran Chad le Clos by 0.29sec to claim gold in the men’s 200m butterfly – an event he wasn’t originally entered in.
Willmer couldn’t contain his delight at his victory, pumping the air and leaping over the lane divider. ‘‘Blown away – absolutely blown away,’’ he said.
‘‘I went out there, stuck to my race plan, executed it how I wanted to, and just an awesome turnout. I knew I was behind the whole time. I knew in the last 25 [metres] I had to pump the arms, kick the legs – I was real hoping I had him.’’
Fellow Kiwi para swimmer Jesse Reynolds, who was fourth in the same final after winning backstroke silver the previous day, acknowledged that the excitable Willmer was like a mascot to the team.
‘‘The team’s been loving him. It’s good to have a breath of fresh air – only 17, and he hasn’t been to all the pinnacles like the rest of us. It’s been really cool to watch his face light up. We’ve got to calm him down at times ... I think that was the key to tonight, just chill him out before the race.’’
Willmer admitted he was nervous before his race.
‘‘Pumped up, chucked on some Metallica, jammed out for a couple of minutes and got in the zone, get the crowd going.’’
He also had to somewhat reluctantly acknowledge the presence of his parents in the crowd just before the hooter started the final.
‘‘I saw them in the stands waving out to me on the blocks, so I had to wave out to them,’’ Willmer laughed.
The former Howick College student from Auckland said he’d ‘‘basically been swimming my whole life’’.
‘‘Just going through the stages of swimming, getting better and better. I was originally with [coach] Shaun Foley at Papakura and I recently just moved to Sheldon Kemp at Pukekohe.
‘‘That was quite a good change but I miss Shaun as well, he was a real good coach – we got along well, had laughs and I should go down and see him after this.’’
Reynolds said Willmer was now given permission to be excited again. ‘‘Bloody hell it was good eh ... 17 and a gold medal. He can go all out now.’’