Australia’s only backstroke gold medallist throws support behind favourite Mitch Larkin
IT’S 60 years since Australia produced its first and only backstroke gold medallist and the man who sealed the deal is chilling a bottle of champagne.
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IT’S 60 years since Australia produced its first and only backstroke gold medallist and the man who sealed the deal is chilling a bottle of champagne.
Doctor David Theile is not about to toast his anniversary. He will raise a glass in honour of Mitch Larkin if he wins either the 100m or 200m backstroke in Rio this week.
Thiele is the sole member of Australia’s most exclusive swimming club – the golden backstrokers – and he reckons it’s time for a bit of company.
“I will be watching when he races and very much hope he can do it,’’ said Theile, who still swims three kilometres a day at age 78.
“If he does I will raise a glass in his honour.’’
Theile, who had a long and distinguished medical career, won in Melbourne in 1956 then defended his title in Rome in 1960.
As part of their team bonding for this Olympics, Australia asked former swim champions to pen a letter to the current person filling the same role and Theile was an obvious choice for Larkin.
His letter gives subtle traces of his own story. Theile slipped intentionally under the radar of local press.
In neither Olympics was he the gold medal favourite.
He deliberately saved himself for a thunderclap performance in the finals but he accepts Larkin cannot do the same.
“When I was swimming the depth was nowhere near what it is today so I could save myself in the semi-finals,’’ Theile said.
“Mitch can’t do that. And where I went very quietly in the press it is also hard for him to stay low profile when he is a world champion.’’
Theile also mentioned that their must not be a thought of “tourism’’ until it’s over but there has not been a suggestion of that given Rio’s security concerns.
“I have been back to Rome many times and love going there but during the Games I saw nothing of it,’’ Theile said.
“I went their focused on winning.’’
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