NEXT STOP RIO
COMEBACK KING: Brilliant Hackett resurrects Olympic dream
GRANT Hackett’s 2016 Rio Olympic dream is now a genuine reality, and by tomorrow he could complete the ultimate Easter resurrection with a comeback to the Australian swim team.
Seven years after he retired and after just six months of training, Hackett left jaws dropped to the pool deck floor last night by placing third in the 400m freestyle final in 3:46.53 at the Australian National Swimming Championships at Sydney.
Hackett was just one place off team selection but he could secure a ticket to the world titles in Kazan in the 200m freestyle if he finishes in the top six tonight.
Hackett’s coach Denis Cotterell said the 34-year-old privately believed he could go faster than his previous best over four laps, and predicted he would go “very close” to making this year’s team and then help Australia win relay gold in Rio next year.
“He believes – and you’ve got to believe – that he can match his best,” Cotterell said.
“If we have four swimmers off the gun doing 1:45 you should win (Olympic gold) as long as they all step up.
“I think he can get to that time and therefore logically he should be able to be part of the (Rio Olympic) team.”
Hackett was gobsmacked at his effort last night and warned his younger rivals that he was coming for them in the next 12 months.
And for the first time he confirmed his return to the pool can now be classified as an official comeback, despite hating the word and that not being his original intention.
“Yeah it’s technically a comeback if that is what you want to call it,” Hackett said.
“But like I said to you guys it had nothing to do with trying to get the glory back or fill a void in my life, I just enjoy swimming.”
The three-time gold medallist is finally getting back on track following a series of public breakdowns.
Between 2011 and 2014, Hackett was the centre of two separate police investigations, split from his singer wife Candice Alley and admitted to using Stilnox.
He checked himself into a US rehab clinic early last year and remained out of the headlines – until he was once again making them for all the right reasons.