2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Swimming: August 6-13
- Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
- Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
- SwimSwam previews
- Day 1 Schedule & Results
- Live Stream (NBC)
Swimming Australia’s power couple fell short of expectations in Rio tonight. Backstroking duo Emily Seebohm and Mitch Larkin, who are in a relationship outside the pool, were both favored to step on the podium in their respective 100m backstroke events. However, things didn’t go according to plan, as each wound up in unfamiliar, medal-less territory after all was said and done.
In addition to being the green and gold’s cutest couple, the duo are each double backstroking World Champions, having claimed the 100m and 200m distance golds in Kazan last year. Seebohm posted a string of sub-59-second backstroke outings since last September, solidifying herself as a predictable performer after settling for silver behind America’s Missy Franklin in this event back at the 2012 Olympic Games.
In fact, Seebohm’s winning time of 58.26 from Kazan would have taken the gold tonight in Rio by almost 2 tenths of a second. Instead, the Brisbane Grammar-trained athlete wound up in 7th place in the women’s final race tonight, stopping the clock at a disappointing 59.19.
Larkin has also been a formidable force in the 100m backstroke since winning the event at the World Championships last year. His time of 52.38 from semi-finals in Kazan scored a new Oceania Record and he continued to get even faster. At the FINA World Cup in Dubai last fall, Larkin clocked a personal best of 52.11 to lower his National Record and Continental Record even further.
Tonight, however, Larkin settled for a 4th place position, earning a mark of 52.43. That’s a respectable time, but certainly not in the sub-52-second zone that American Ryan Murphy was able to venture into en route to gold.
After the race, Larkin told ESPN, “I left everything in the pool so I couldn’t be happier.”
“It was a quick race and I knew it would come down to a close finish but I’m stoked for Ryan; he swam really quick and deserves it. It’s a bit disappointing but I’ve got the 200 later in the week and we’ll see what happens. I tried to gain as much as could in the second fifty. I’ll have to see the splits and see what happened but I’m happy. I left everything in the pool and couldn’t have done much different.”
For Seebohm’s part, she said of her race tonight, “It was hard from lane one. I had no idea what the other girls were doing. I just tried to stick to my own race. That’s just how it is. I know I tried 100 percent tonight and I can’t ask for anymore so I’m proud of myself. I trained really hard for this. I guess I’m a little bit disappointed. Yeah, it sucks a bit but that’s just how it is.”
I just feel so sorry for Seebohm, She is so deserved for that Olympic individual gold medal. in London she peaked 1 day earlier than she should do. in Rio, this time around, she peaked 1 year earlier than she should do. Last year in Kazan, she did that 3 round so well. In rio after that 59. semi, I knew her chance gone. its such a mystery, no one knows what happen to her. but if something happened twice, it maybe because she is lack of something for Olympics.
Sjostrom broke trough, Hosszu broke through. I really hope Cate can get it this time.
for Larkin, he is about the same level as he was in Kazan,… Read more »
Well Mitch sounds like a gentleman and Seebohm is very gracious. Seems like both missed their taper slightly as they definitely have that gold-winning speed in them.
Sorry as a former backstroker, I don’t buy the “from lane one” line. You see people under water off the start and turn, maybe some splashes from arms. The rest of it you’re staring at the ceiling.. I don’t get sub 59s all season and then this.
For me the lane 1 is a mental issue. She is the favourite, the world champion, she swims well in heats, and doesn’t swim well in semis, partially because she’s not in the shape of her life (like probably 80-90% of the athletes in Rio, that’s human). Then, she qualifies in lane 1, a lane where you usually don’t see gold medallists, a lane that mean “Emily,you will have to make something big, this gold medal will be HARD to win, it will be a fight”. And as a favourite and dominant swimmer for the last 2 years, she was simply not ready to fight, and so scared to lose that she lost her race strategy.
Same can be said… Read more »
This has got to hurt. Seebohm went under 59 about 6 times in the last 18 months, so to do sub-optimal on the big stage has got to hurt.
Larkin wasn’t too bad.
They are still likely to be strong in the 200, if they can get their heads together.
My thoughts:
1. A superb night again for the USA!! Murphy swam very well and very intelligently. Really excited to see his 200m back. Lilly King is my new queen now :)))) Congrats to Dwyer, Plummer, Melli, Baker for their medals!! And we also need to congratulate to Haas and Smoliga also!!! 2 PBs. Haas and Smoliga will help team US to win gold in men’s 4x200m and women’s 4x100m medley. Go Haas and Smoliga-the gold medals is waiting for you :)))))
2. The Aussies: well the last 2 days was very tough for them. I don’t know exactly what is doing with them :((( Seebohm out of podium is one of the biggest shocks for me !!!… Read more »
The Mitch Larkin result isn’t massively dissapointing from my perspective. It was always going to be tight with the Americans (who as always are at peak performance when it counts) and I didn’t envision him taking gold. I did expect him to snag a medal though, unfortunately for him and us Australians he just misses out. He’ll still feel confident about his 200, which is his best event and what his training is geared more towards.
Emily Seebohm’s swim however is a bit more dissapointing, she’s well off her best. It’s hard to know why exactly. At least she still seemed in fairly good spirits about her swimming in the post race, that’s a huge contrast to four years… Read more »
That’s excactly what I am saying. I knew it would be extremely tough battle for Mitch against Americans right after I saw the U.S. trial, but I just purely don’t understand what’s wrong with Seebohm. I really don’t want to say this, but she might be just a choker. I know it’s very unfair to call someone like her a choker, but the way she has been dominating this event for last four years then swam almost a full second slower than her PB last year in Kazan makes me believe she is just not an Olympic Gold material. That shouldn’t necessarily tarnish her reputation as one of the best backstroker in the world in her time though.
I also think Australia should try a process of selection allowing to detect out of shape athletes like Seebohm seems to be. Swimmers are supposed to replicate times from 6 months ago… do you think Murphy would be able to be 52 low next december? Of course not. Larkin is not a worse 100bk swimmer than any american including Murphy, but he had less chances to be in good form in Rio.
It’s also hard not to mention the fact that Australia has the biggest jetlag (except NZ – but Boyle misfired too) and the longest trip to Rio (or London) + weird hours of competition. I don’t know how impacting it is, but remember Beijing 2008 (no jetlag) was… Read more »
The American selection process of whoever has the “hot hand” is pretty tough. It works because most of the college swimmers have double tapered for conference, then NCAAs. Most other nations don’t do this, so they have earlier selection processes.
Also, it is much tougher for Americans because most careers are in SCY and then they have to try LCM.
Horton, McEvoy, Campbell sisters & Chalmers to the rescue, I hope!!!!
Cate yes, McEvoy & Horton probably, Chalmers no IMHO.
Australian trials are at least 2 months too early IMHO which allows for too much hype on individuals after selection on the Team. Team USA haven’t time to lose focus between Trials & the main event.
It was day 2 that totally destroyed us, maybe too much partying from great 1st day.
Started with heats Bohl missing semis after poor swim, & both Magnussen & Roberts swimming poor legs in prelims of 4X100.
Then night time Mckeon poor swim in final of 100 fly, TFH not qualifying for 200 final, well below best. Packard not qualifying for 100 breast & most importantly neither Seebohm & Larkin dominating like Kazan in semis. Ashwood last in 400 free & Magnussen & Roberts swims poorly again in 4×100 final.