World Swimming Championships: Cate Campbell settles for silver behind Simone Manuel in 100m freestyle

Cate Campbell always wears her heart on her sleeve so she didn’t try to hide her disappointment at not getting world championship gold in the 100m freestyle, but she knows it won’t hurt her Olympics quest.

The fire has been lit again in Cate Campbell’s belly after she was blindsided by American Simone Manuel in the 100m freestyle final at the world championships.

Campbell, swimming in the middle of the pool, thought she had won the title when she overhauled Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestrom on the final length to touch the wall in 52.27 seconds - a time that would have won her the gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

It was only when she turned around and looked at the scoreboard that she realised Manuel, swimming in the outside lane, had got her hands on the wall first, in 52.07.

Cate Campbell finished second behind the impressive Simone Manuel.

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”I didn’t see her out there,” Campbell said.

“I was locked in a battle with Sarah.”

Campbell always wears her heart on her sleeve so she didn’t try to hide her disappointment at not getting the gold but at 27, she knows it won’t hurt her quest for the ultimate goal of winning at the Tokyo Olympics in a year’s time.

“While I’m not 100 per cent happy with that race I’ve made some great improvements over the past couple of years,” Campbell said.

“I think it will be great for me going into Tokyo without a huge target on my back. I’ve well and truly shifted the focus away from that now.”

Simone Manuel did it all from the outside lane.

Campbell wasn’t the only one caught out by Manuel’s sudden return to form after she only snuck into the final as the slowest qualifer.

As the reigning Olympic and defending world champion she’s a proven big race performer but Campbell has had her measure this week, beating her twice head to head to secure relay golds for Australia.

“I think that this is a great stepping stone for me, I can mix it with the best in the world,” Campbell said.

“I got the best of Simone a couple of nights ago and last year and I look forward to racing her again next year.

“I put in a really stellar performance. It’s been a great week for me in the pool and to come away with a silver medal, that’s nothing to be sneezed at.”

Cate Campbell now has her eyes on Tokyo gold.

Campbell admitted she may not have beaten Manuel even if she had seen her because the American’s time was super quick, almost a quarter of a second than she had ever swum before.

“This meet has been a little bit of a roller-coaster for me, not all my swims have been what I would have liked them to be and I did take that relay very hard because I didn’t feel I did as best as I possibly could,” Manuel said.

“It’s always about regrouping. Not everyone has the perfect swim every time and so I just needed to put on a good face.”

Sjoestrom held on to win the bronze, just ahead of Australia’s Emma McKeon, who was only two lanes away from Manuel but also didn’t see her.

“I swim with my eyes shut,” McKeon explained.

“I open them a little bit but I do that to try and focus on myself. I train most of the time with my eyes shut, so I’m used to it.”