Australian gloom after Olympic 'gold hush'
Source: AFP |
August 3, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA is sliding towards its worst Olympics in the pool for 20 years after a succession of gold medal hopes ended in silver in London.
A pall has descended over the team after talisman James Magnussen's one-hundredth of a second defeat in the men's 100m freestyle, an event he was favored to win as reigning world champion and the year's fastest swimmer.
With only three days left in the competition, Australia has just one gold from the women's 4x100m freestyle relay win on Saturday's opening night along with five silvers and two bronze.
Australian head coach Leigh Nugent has conceded that his team will get "nowhere near" the gold hauls of the past three Olympics - five in Sydney (2000), seven in Athens (2004) and six in Beijing.
Australia's triple Olympic champion Ian Thorpe said he was surprised with Magnussen's form at the Olympics. "I've been very surprised with the way James (Magnussen) is swimming here, he's well below his best," Thorpe said.
"It is disappointing and we are all feeling it, I'm really surprised that he's so off form."
"That's life. I've got a job to do, I'm doing the best I can, this team is doing the best it can and whatever measure people want to put on that, they are at liberty to do that," Nugent said.
A pall has descended over the team after talisman James Magnussen's one-hundredth of a second defeat in the men's 100m freestyle, an event he was favored to win as reigning world champion and the year's fastest swimmer.
With only three days left in the competition, Australia has just one gold from the women's 4x100m freestyle relay win on Saturday's opening night along with five silvers and two bronze.
Australian head coach Leigh Nugent has conceded that his team will get "nowhere near" the gold hauls of the past three Olympics - five in Sydney (2000), seven in Athens (2004) and six in Beijing.
Australia's triple Olympic champion Ian Thorpe said he was surprised with Magnussen's form at the Olympics. "I've been very surprised with the way James (Magnussen) is swimming here, he's well below his best," Thorpe said.
"It is disappointing and we are all feeling it, I'm really surprised that he's so off form."
"That's life. I've got a job to do, I'm doing the best I can, this team is doing the best it can and whatever measure people want to put on that, they are at liberty to do that," Nugent said.
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