Silver in the Seine: How one tactical turn cost Australian swimmer gold
By Tom Decent
Moesha Johnson says she’s swum in far worse water than what she encountered in the Seine during her silver medal performance in the women’s 10-kilometre marathon race.
Johnson’s second place in a thrilling race came after a heartbreaking late lead change that saw the Australian come up just short of an unexpected win that would have seen the Dolphins equal the USA on the swimming medal table.
For more than an hour, it looked as if Johnson would grasp Australia’s 19th gold medal of the Games, but she just couldn’t hang on in a lung-busting final few hundred metres as the Netherlands’ Sharon van Rouwendaal sealed victory by 5.5 seconds at the Pont Alexandre III bridge.
With three minutes to go in the race, Johnson and van Rouwendaal took different routes during a turn; the latter made a better decision to edge ahead while battling a strong current.
Johnson, who also competed in the 1500m freestyle in the pool at these Olympics, was dogged until the end but couldn’t overhaul van Rouwendaal in a race that lasted just over two hours.
“I knew whatever option I took, Sharon behind me would have taken the other one, and we just had to fight it out and see which route was quicker or who was stronger,” Johnson said of the last critical turn. “That’s kind of where she passed me into the gold medal position.
“I’m happy with my choice. I committed to it. It’s just such a tactical race, and there’s so many ifs, buts and maybes that could have happened in that race. To come out with a medal is just unbelievable.”
Silver medallist Australia’s Moesha Johnson celebrates at the end of the marathon swimming women’s 10km competition Credit: AP
Swimmers set off on six loops of a 1.67-kilometre route down the Seine between the picturesque Pont Alexandre III bridge and Pont de l’Alma as fans lined the streets, trying to get a look at an event that has been a talking point around the world.
Organisers spent more than a billion dollars to clean up the Seine.
Heading west towards the Eiffel Tower was a breeze for swimmers as they rode the current. Back the other way, it was a war of attrition as athletes waded through the dirtiest parts of the river closest to the edge to avoid feeling like they were swimming on the spot.
Johnson, who hails from the northern NSW suburb of Tweed Heads and now lives in Germany, celebrated her silver medal with a can of Coca-Cola.
Why? A number of swimmers in Paris believe a can of coke can flush out unwanted bacteria, in light of concerns about water quality in the Seine.
Johnson was unperturbed by the water quality or brown colour of the river but admitted there were unexpected obstacles to overcome.
“If Coca-Cola is listening, this is your cue. Yes, I’ve had a Coca-Cola, but I’ll go home and have some antibiotics as well,” Johnson said.
“I’ve tasted worse water, to be honest. It’s not about what the water looks like. I’ve swum in some really brown water and it’s been really good quality. It’s just about what the data shows us. It’s always going to be dramatic [in the media].
“We all got quite beaten up. One of the boats had plants on it with spikes on it, so we’ve got scratches on us.
“We were actually battling with the course a lot today. The hardest part was if you moved over a metre to try and pass someone, the current was just that much more dramatic. So you probably saw us hugging the edge of the wall. I hit the wall a few times unintentionally.”
After four gold medals for Australia on Wednesday in Paris, Johnson almost made it a fifth inside 17 hours.
Gold medallist Sharon Van Rouwendaal, of the Netherlands, right, hugs silver medallist Australia’s Moesha Johnson, left, during the medal ceremonyCredit: AP
If Johnson had won gold, Australia would have drawn level with the USA on the swimming medal tally with eight golds apiece.
Open water events only came onto the Olympic program in 2008.
The USA has won every Olympic swimming medal tally since 1956, except in 1980 when it boycotted the Moscow Games.
Aussies Nick Sloman and Kyle Lee are in action in the men’s 10km race on Friday in what is the Dolphins’ final chance to draw level with their American rivals.
“This is going to take a while to sink in,” Johnson said.
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