SYDNEY, 28 March 2004 — Grant Hackett and not Ian Thorpe will be Australia’s gold medal hope in the 400-meters freestyle at this year’s Athens Olympics after a bombshell opening day’s swimming at the Olympic trials here yesterday.
Hackett, so often in the shadow of his superstar 21-year-old teammate, won the 400m final in the absence of Thorpe, who was sensationally disqualified earlier in his morning heat for making a false start.
In the darkest day of his phenomenal swimming career, Thorpe, unbeatable in the event since 1997, lost his balance on the starting blocks and toppled into the water.
Officials, invoking governing body FINA’s stringent one-start rule, automatically disqualified world record holder Thorpe and in doing so cost him his chance of swimming for the 400m gold medal in Athens in August.
Hackett, the Olympic and world 1500m champion, swam 0.8sec outside his personal best in winning the 400m in three minutes 43.35 seconds.
Sydneysider Craig Stevens is off to his first Olympic Games as the second placegetter in the final in 3:48.08. Joshua Krogh was third.
Hackett said he had been in disbelief at what had happened to Thorpe, who he said was the best swimmer the world had seen in the 400m freestyle event.
Hackett said he had purposefully kept away from the distraught Thorpe throughout the day in the leadup to the night final, only sending him a text-message.
“I wanted to give him some space and leave him alone after what has been a horrific day for him,” Hackett said after winning the final.
“It’s something I would never have imagined. In a worst case scenario, I couldn’t have pictured this.
“I don’t think I would have had that self-control if it happened in my 1500,” Hackett said. “It’s something very hard to take and he acted like a true sportsman. “He didn’t throw any chairs, he didn’t get upset.
“You put so much effort in, so much work, so many years of dedication for this moment ... to get on the Olympic team and go to the biggest sporting event in the world and then you’re deprived of that moment just because of a false start. I’m not sure what I would have done.”
Hackett said one positive would be that Thorpe would be fresh for his next event at the trials, the 200m freestyle, with the heats and semifinals today, followed by a final tomorrow.
“He’ll be fresh for the 200, I know we’ll see something special from him there,” he said.
Hackett said following his 400m victory he would be more relaxed over the remaining seven days of the Olympic trials now that he had gained selection in the national team and predicted a fast time in his pet event, the 1500m freestyle, next Saturday.
Justin Norris and Jennifer Reilly registered Commonwealth records in winning their respective 400m individual medley finals yesterday. Norris clocked 4:15.20 in beating Travis Nederpelt, while Reilly swam 4:40.71 in overcoming Lara Carroll in the women’s event.
