Lenton loses a spur
WORLD champion Libby Lenton’s quest for Olympic redemption in
the 100 metres freestyle this year became harder yesterday when
Australian rival Jodie Henry announced she would not try to defend
her title in Beijing, Lenton’s coach, Stephan Widmer, said.
Lenton went into the Athens Olympic Games four years ago as
world record-holder in the 100 freestyle but missed the final,
while Henry surprised to snatch the world record in the semi-finals
before winning gold. But, during the past two years, Lenton has
become the dominant freestyle sprinter in the world, while Henry’s
form has waned because of illness and motivational problems.
But Henry is regarded as one of the toughest competitors and
racers in the business, so on paper, it would seem her absence
would make Lenton’s task easier in the 50-100 freestyle double.
Not so, it seems. Widmer said yesterday his job suddenly had
become more difficult. He believes that a big part of Lenton’s
success was because she knew that Henry %26#151; or the spectre of a
fit and in-form Henry %26#151; was always on her shoulder.
“Jodie always has, whether she wanted to or not, helped make my
job easier due to her presence and Libby knew that she was pressing
for the next level as well,” Widmer said. ” This will
definitely change that balance within the sport. I’m not saying
that Libby’s that dominant but having Jodie out there kept Alice
(Mills) and Libby honest and putting in great efforts in training.
The athlete can do it themselves as well but I know it’s harder to
do it without it . . knowing the presence of Jodie Henry in this
country, (with her) having a shot at making the team in those
events, that is what kept someone like Libby honest.”
The Brisbane-based coach believes that for a country to have
world-class performances, it needs at least two elite-level
swimmers in the same event, pushing each other to faster times. He
said the demise of butterflyer Geoff Huegill after Michael Klim’s
injuries restricted his abilities, setting a worrying precedent for
his charge, though he expected rising star Cate Campbell to begin
to apply pressure in the lead-up to Beijing.
“It (Henry’s absence) is definitely not a positive thing
whether it’s a worry or not, time will tell, that’s the only thing
I can say. But we know that it has had impacts like that in the
past, so hopefully it won’t be the same here, but who knows?”
Widmer said.
Henry’s former long-term coach, Shannon Rollason, who was the 4
x 100 freestyle relay team coach at last year’s world titles, said
yesterday only a fully fit Henry would have been any use for the
team’s goal of defending its title against hot competition this
year.
He said Australia needed Henry to be able to swim a
sub-54-second time for her leg for it to have a chance of gold. If
she was not able to achieve what at her best would be an expected
time, then the team would be better served by the likes of Mills
and Melanie Schlanger, who are capable of sub-54s in relays, and
the rapidly improving Campbell.
“The point is, you need Jodie Henry at her best, so if (she) is
in the team and not at her best, then it really doesn’t matter
who’s swimming,” Rollason said. “If she’s at the Olympics in the
relay swimming a second off her best time, that’s not going to be
good enough to beat the best teams in the world.”
Rollason, who coached Henry for a decade before she left his
Australian Institute of Sport base last year to return to Brisbane,
said he was surprised she had decided to pull out of the Olympics.
He said he “didn’t think at any stage” before she left his squad
that she would take this decision. “It would have been a tough
decision I always thought she would swim, so I suppose I’m a
little bit surprised but I don’t know the full details of her
health,” Rollason said.
