ANOTHER day, another gold. This surreal week at the swimming pool took another few plot turns for Michelle Smith yesterday as she demolished another Olympic final field to take her second gold medal in three days. The music played and the flag was raised and 15,000 people were left with the strangest sense of deja vii.
As a demonstration of sheer power and aggression her performance matched anything we have seen at these Games thus far. In fourth place after 50 metres she worked herself through the field, picking off another pacing at every turn until she led at the 250 metre mark. After that the rest of the field was competing for the minor medals. In the event, defending champion, Dagmar Hase of Germany, was second, with Kirsten Vlieghuis, of Holland, third.
Triumph capped off what had a been a long day of many questions and considerably fewer answers. Early in the day Smith's very participation in the freestyle event continued to be in doubt.
Four delegations led by the USA objected to Smith's presence in last night's final on the basis that her qualification was achieved after the legal cut off point.
Irish officials continue to disagree on the version of events which led to the controversy. The Irish Amateur Swimming Association insists that it handed all necessary documentation to the Olympic Council of Ireland on July 9th, three days after Smith swam the qualifying time. The entry was due to be submitted by July 15th. Sources in Atlanta claim the entry was not received until the 17th, leaving Smith late both in qualifying for and entering into the race.
"It's another disgusting example of politics in sport," said Mark Schubert, coach of American distance swimming great Janet Evans who was bidding to become the first woman to win five gold medals. Evans missed the qualification for the final by 0.3 of a second and would have qualified if Smith had not been part of the field.
Later, speaking of Smith's belated emergence as a world swimming star, Evans posited the theory that the improvements came about through new training methods but continued:
"It is questionable, but it is possible."
"I am actually disappointed that Janet wasn't in the final," said Smith diplomatically in her moment of triumph. "She is a really great swimmer and a really great Olympic champion.
"You can't stop people making accusations but I'm happy with my medal and that's what's important."
Smith is in action again tomorrow when she competes in the 200 metres individual medley event, in which she won the European Championship last summer.