Bronte Campbell well-equipped to take on new world record holder

If there is anyone equipped to get over the mental hurdle of racing a new world record-holder it’s Bronte Campbell.

Bronte Campbell, second left, on the podium with Australia’s silver medal-winning 4x100m freestyle relay team in Budapest.

If there is anyone equipped to get over the mental hurdle of racing a new world record-holder for the world 100m freestyle title it is Bronte Campbell.

In effect, her older sister Cate, the former world record-holder, has been training her up for just this type of challenge since they were children.

Swedish sensation Sarah Sjostrom moved the 100m freestyle into a new realm in Budapest this week, smashing through the 52-second barrier to set an otherworldly benchmark of 51.71sec, but reigning world champion Campbell is unfazed by the sudden hike in standard. “I don’t think going below 52 seconds makes Sarah completely untouchable,’’ she said ahead of today’s 100m heats.

“I think she’s the first woman to do that, and she didn’t just sneak below it, she smashed it. She did an incredible job. Leading in, we all knew she was going to be ­swimming fast, but it doesn’t mean she can keep swimming that fast. It doesn’t mean that other people can’t swim that fast.

“When someone lowers a benchmark like that, it’s just an opportunity for everyone else to chase it. It may happen at this meet, it may happen at the next meet, but we see it all the time.

“Someone takes a step up and the rest of the world says, ‘OK cool, that’s the new challenge, that’s the new bar that’s set and we all just step up and deal with it’.’’

Cate has been setting high bars for the younger Bronte to get over for a decade or more and she sees this as a similar test.

“That’s pretty much been my whole swimming career, chasing someone who’s just one step in front of me so it’s not foreign ­territory to me and I think all the years have proved to me that it’s not impossible,’’ Bronte said.

“For 2½ years or three years there, Cate was completely unbeatable, no one could beat her, and then suddenly someone steps up and finds a way to beat her.

“I’ve seen it happen and I’ve been a part of it. Just because someone looks untouchable now, it doesn’t mean they are always going to be. I don’t know how to go 51 seconds (now), but I have a few years (before the next Olympics) to try and figure it out.’’

Campbell was already in a tight spot in regard to her world title defence before Sjostrom’s pyrotechnics. The 23-year-old has had a persistent left shoulder injury for the last two years, and a week before these championships began her right shoulder blew up.

At first she thought she might have to withdraw, but after extensive treatment she is now confident she will get through to the end of the week.

She tested it out in the 4x100m freestyle relay on the first day and surprised herself by swimming one of her best splits, 52.14sec.

“I had no idea going into the relay what I would be able to swim,’’ she said. “I wanted to put in a good leg and try and put the team in a good position but I honestly thought I could have gone anywhere from the time that I did to a 53-high. So to go my third- or fourth-fastest relay split ever was incredibly encouraging after the lead-in I had and it definitely puts me in a better place for the individual.

“A week ago from Saturday, I thought that maybe I wasn’t even going to be racing, so to pull up the next day barely sore was a big bonus. My sickness has pretty much gone. Everything has come good just in time, just at the last minute.’’

Based on the sprint-relay splits, Bronte is still in the medal mix. The 2012 Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo was the only swimmer apart from Sjostrom to record a faster split (51.98sec), while Rio Olympic champion Simone Manuel (52.14sec) swam an identical time. Australia’s second contender, Emma McKeon, was just slightly slower (52.29sec) but is in the form of her life and can’t be discounted.

Bronte said she would try to conserve energy in the qualifying rounds but conceded that might not be possible in the semi-finals.

“I normally try and descend as much as possible so your fastest one is the last one, but in a 100m where there are world record-holders and Olympic champions and world champions all in the same race, to make the final you’re going to have to go pretty much as fast as you can go,’’ she said.

“I don’t think I have much ­option if I want to be in the race, and I do want to be in the final.’’