Murray Stewart fourth in K1 final, Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull eighth in K2
HAVING lost his first un-born baby, Murray Stewart will erase the disappointment of his fourth in the K1-1000m Olympic final with the arrival of he and wife Rebecca’s first child in December.
HAVING lost his first un-born baby, Murray Stewart will erase the disappointment of his fourth in the K1-1000m Olympic final with the arrival of he and wife Rebecca’s first child in December.
From Manly in Sydney, Stewart rallied from fourth position after 200m to be first with 250m left in the race before being swallowed up on the finish line.
A clearly shattered Stewart said there was silver lining to his Olympic road coming to an end.
“I definitely don’t think I’ve paddled my best races yet, but I’m 30 now and I’ve got a baby on the way,’’ Stewart said.
“I’ve got to go and chat to the wife.
“We lost a baby in November last year and that was a pretty hard time. It’s been a rollercoaster.
“We found out (Rebecca was due) not long after I left for overseas, so it’s going to be a nice thing to come back to at home.’’
It looked like Australia was headed for their first gold since Kim Brennan in the single sculls last Saturday.
But it wasn’t to be.
“I’m pretty tired, but I think I’d be less tired if I had a medal around my neck,’’ Stewart said.
“The last 100, I definitely tightened up a bit, which wasn’t part of the plan. I’ve been working really hard not to do that.
“If I’d executed my perfect race and come away with a fourth, I’d be a little less disappointed.
“I just feel like I could’ve done something slightly less different at the end there.
“I was feeling great most of the way through the race, it was probably like I say, at the very end I tightened up.’’
Stewart was driven in Rio by the pain and hurt of being omitted from the Australia’s K4 crew, the current Olympic champions from London.
Just four months ago, Stewart couldn’t get out of bed after being floored by glandular fever - which ultimately led to the 30-year-old being left out of the K4 crew.
Meanwhile, fresh-faced young women will set their sights on Tokyo 2020 armed with the race experience and know-how of what it takes to become Olympic champions.
Sunshine Coast kayakers Alyssa Bull, 20, and Alyce Burnett, 24, found their opposition too strong in the K2 500m Olympic final in Rio, finishing eighth.
The Australian’s raced with the field over the first 200m, but were unable to match the speed and power of gold medalists Hungary.
“We are stuffed - in our first couple of strokes we hit a few leaves and that put a bit of resistance,’’ Burnett said.
“We ticked our goal. We made our final.
“We were the only non-Europeans out there so that was good for us and the Commonwealth. Look out for us over the next few years.’
For Bull - who only took up the sport three years ago - and Burnett it was a major achievement that they made the Olympic final.
“I went to my first national titles for kayaking in 2013,’’ Bull said.
“I didn’t expect to be here, we were aiming for Tokyo, but we got here.
“Three years ago I was still in school doing the ironwomen series professionally.
“I was trying to do both of them (kayaking and iron women) and one of the coaches said: ‘Bully what are you doing, are you going to help the girls get to Rio?’
“I thought yeah, I’ll give it a go.
“You can’t make the Olympics in surf (lifesaving) so that was a big driver and I’m so glad I made it because I get to come here and be on the biggest stage in the world. ‘’
Originally published as Murray Stewart fourth in K1 final, Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull eighth in K2