Aussie women’s relay draw inspiration from Kyle Chalmer’s gold at Rio Olympics
KYLE Chalmers won a gold medal on day five of the Rio Olympics. Put him down for helping win a silver for the women’s 4x200m relay as well.
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KYLE Chalmers won a gold medal on day five of the Rio Olympics. Put him down for helping win a silver as well.
While Chalmers was coming from second-last to first in the 100m final, Australia’s women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team was in the warm-up pool, supposedly getting ready for their race, but actually watching Chalmers in action on a TV.
“We were jumping in and out of the pool to watch,” said Bronte Barratt, at 27 swimming in her third and last Olympics.
“He was definitely an inspiration to us. He got us pumped up. Once someone swims well it gets the ball rolling and everyone gets on a high. Before we went out for our race we said, ‘let’s do a Kyle Chalmers’.
“A lot of us are actually 400m swimmers coming down to the 200m so our strength is our back end. Kyle turned seventh at the 50m and managed to win, so for us that was an inspiration. It was ‘save yourself in the first hundred and then come home’.”
The tactic worked well, with the Aussies in front at one stage, before being overhauled by US ace Katie Ledecky and hanging on for second ahead of Canada.
“We knew we’d have Katie chasing us down, Barratt said. “She’s capable of mowing anyone down. We just wanted to get off to a good start and hope for the best.
“I’m on such a high right now. I’m so excited. I was screaming so loud, it felt like we were screaming for gold but I’m really happy we snuck in there for silver, and so proud of the girls. It’s their first Olympics and they all stepped up and I’m so happy to be part of the team again.”
While Barratt was coming to the end of her career the rest of the team, Leah Neale, 21, Emma McKeon, 22, and Tamsin Cook, at 17 the youngest in the Australian team, are all at their first Olympics. Neale said Barratt’s experience was important in helping them stay calm and stick to their game-plan.
“She is just so awesome to have in the team,” she said — and then started giggling. “This is so weird. At the last Olympics I was sitting at home watching on the TV and now here I am standing here with a silver medal around my neck. I can’t believe it.”
Neither could Barrett.
“I’m so lucky,” she said. “Not too many people get to go out on their own terms. I made the team and now I’ve come away with a medal and I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to do that.
“I’ve just had an absolute blast for the past 12 years. I think I’ll be really happy for the next few weeks and then when I get back to Brisbane I’ll be sad, but right now I just want to enjoy the moment.”
Originally published as Aussie women’s relay draw inspiration from Kyle Chalmer’s gold at Rio Olympics
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