Golden run but big dog absent
THEY dominated the pool on the Gold Coast in an outstanding revival for the sport, but Australian swimming’s biggest test will come at the Pan Pacific championships in August when they face the might of the US.
Just 17 of the 49 Olympic program swimmers on the Commonwealth Games team gained automatic qualification for the Pan Pacs with their individual efforts on the Gold Coast and the Tokyo championships will determine whether these Games were merely a false dawn.
While the Commonwealth Games – and particularly one on home soil – hold a special place in the hearts of fans, this year’s benchmark test will be the Pan Pacs, where Australia will face the powerhouse US team.
Swimming Australia will apply stricter qualifying standards for the Pan Pacs, which is likely to be the yardstick by which the athletes will measure their success this year.
Some of Australia’s efforts at these Games would measure up in any competition.
Bronte Campbell’s effort to win the 100m final would have claimed gold at the Rio Olympics and dead-heated for the win at last year’s world championships, while the women set a new standard in the 4x100m freestyle relay with a world record.
Ariarne Titmus’s time in the 400m would have claimed silver behind American great Katie Ledecky at both the Olympics and world championships, while Cate Campbell’s 50m effort would have been good enough for gold in Rio and silver in Budapest.
But other Gold Coast winners would not be in the medal hunt at major championships and Australian swimming bosses are wary of creating undue pressure on a team rebuilding after a disappointing overall campaign in Rio.
“Our aim for this campaign was to make Australia proud, show them what we’re made of and I think we succeeded in doing that,” head coach Jacco Verhaeren said.
“I think it’s too early to draw conclusions but we’re hitting close to a 65 per cent rate in terms of personal best times, season-best times (swum at the major championship) and that’s double Rio.”