Pool of talent
Australia expected to repeat Commonwealth swimming success
Posted: Friday August 28, 1998 11:15 AM
| |
Perkins recently swam 800 meters in 7:42.85, the second-fastest 800 of the year Harry How/Allsport |
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- Australian swimming coach Don Talbot
expects the traditional rivalry involving Australia, England and
Canada to resurface at next month's Commonwealth Games.
It was no contest in Victoria, Canada, when Australia won a
record 25 gold, 17 silver and 11 bronze medals to swamp the rest of
the Commonwealth four years ago.
England scored just six gold, four silver and eight bronze and
Canada grabbed two gold, eight silver and nine bronze despite the
advantage of a home crowd.
In Auckland in 1990, Australia also dominated the medal tally
with 21 gold, 19 silver and 13 bronze.
But Talbot predicts a tougher battle at the Kuala Lumpur Games
from September 11-21.
It'll be very close swimming in Kuala Lumpur, Talbot said Friday.
I think it'll be a much more contested Commonwealth Games than
it's been for many years which I'm really happy about. That's good
for the sport and I think it's good for us.
I don't want us to be winning too easily. Our swimmers get
careless . . . and I don't want them doing that, particularly going
into 2000 for the Olympics.
While the Australian men's team was powerful at the Perth world
championships in January, claiming six golds to equal the United
States, the women's squad has some major holes to plug.
Absent will be reigning Commonwealth 200-meter and 400-meter
individual medley champion Elli Overton, who is unavailable, and
retired backstroker Nicole Stevenson and distance swimmer Hayley
Lewis.
Talbot is pleased with the return to form of dual Olympic
1,500-meter freestyle gold medalist Kieren Perkins, whose star has
faded from the international spotlight since the Atlanta Olympics
two years ago.
Perkins clocked 7 minutes, 42.85 seconds over 800 meters
freestyle in a 25-meter pool recently - the second-fastest swim of
the year.
To predict a win for him I think is a little bit unreasonable
but that swim was a pretty good swim and it indicates he's firing
now, whereas for a little while he was in the wilderness, Talbot
said.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
