Citizen Smith steals the show

THE Olympic flame was extinguished last night, its lifeline snuffed out. But the memories are set to linger on and for Ireland, the herculean efforts of Michelle Smith, who performed one remarkable feat after another in the tepid waters of Georgia Tech Aquatic Centre, some six miles from that Olympic light, will become a part of history.

It would be easy to say she came, saw and conquered. The Dubliner did more than that. She also endured the cynicism of an American press who adopted the attitude, "if you can't beat `em, accuse them". Yet, Smith who left the pool deck with three gold medals and one bronze won that battle too, proving to be articulate and composed under fire.

Her endeavours in the pool, though, were phenomenal. Extraordinary. Smith, who carries the passport of a country without even a 50 metre pool, emerged as the pool's new queen. The world's greatest all round swimmer. Numero uno.

When UPS delivered the Olympic medals to Atlanta prior to the Games, little did they realise that the biggest individual haul would be carried away by a woman from west Dublin.

Smith became a history maker. Firstly, she pierced the aura of Krisztina Egerszegi, the pool queen in Barcelona four years previously. Times change, however, Smith, kitted out in her black Speedo suit which resembled a Victorian bathing costume, cruised through the 78 degree waters of Georgia Tech on the night of July 20th to claim the 400 metres individual medley in a time of four minutes 39.18 seconds. It was the first of four national records she was to set over the next seven days.

"Anyone who makes it to the Olympics trains hard, but I also train smart. A lot of that is to do with my husband's (Erik de Bruin) background in track and field," said Smith. "We try to translate some of the principles of athletics into our swimming programme. The result is I am a lot stronger than three years ago, a lot lighter and leaner.

And meaner, too.

Smith was so focused right through her Olympic dream. When the United States, Germany and the Netherlands tried and failed to get her ousted from the 400 metres freestyle, and one time American icon Janet Evans pointed an accusing finger in the 26 year old Irish woman's direction, she never flinched.

"I always thought the Olympics were about fair play," said Smith. "What the Americans tried to do, to disqualify another swimmer, was not fair play."

The world's greatest swimmer delivered her answer in the 400 metrics freestyle final that Monday night, July 22nd, amazingly securing her second gold with a time of 4:07.25. "I have put my heart and soul into this," she said. "I quit university to train full time. I moved away from my family. I never used the lack of facilities in Ireland as an excuse. This success is all about hard work and sacrifice."

When asked, directly, had she ever used performance enhancing drugs, she replied: "No. Absolutely not. It would be stupid for me, or anyone else, to even consider it. We are subject to constant checks by FINA. I've been at home at nine o'clock in the morning, still in my pyjamas, and had someone knock on my door requesting a urine sample."

The fairytale continued. Smith added another chapter when claiming the 200 metres individual medley. Wednesday, July 24th. A third gold medal. The most successful Irish Olympian ever. It was, probably, the least expected and most superbly executed win of all.

Rumours of injury spread around the poolside in the lead up to the heats. Bad back. Sore shoulders. "I have a rash from my razor, does that count?" she later quipped, basking in the glory of another gold, won in a time of 2:13.93. Canada's Marianne Limpert, who once upon a time crossed swords with her in the less grandiose setting of the fivelane pool at Watling Street Baths, took the silver.

Smith had been hesitant about competing in the 200 IM, and only made it in to the final as the seventh fastest qualifier, a mere .15 of a second ahead of ninth placed Martina Moravcova of Slovakia. "I was a little hesitant about competing in the race, especially with the 200 metres butterfly still to come. But when I saw the heat times were nothing exceptional, I had to go for it."

With gold medal number three in the bag, Smith got ready to equal Kristin Otto's four gold individual haul from Seoul in 1988. It was not to be. Smith's goggles snapped in the locker room just before the 200 metres butterfly final and she borrowed a pair from a Dutch swimmer. The bigger obstacle, however, proved to be Australian Susan O'Neill - "I got a fax from my father before the race telling me I was almost as Irish as Michelle," O'Neill said - and Smith had to settle for bronze.

Her week's work was, nevertheless, ample reward for her years of work and sacrifice. And, while Egerszegi and Evans retired, Smith aims to go on and on. Sydney 2000 beckons. "Five or six years ago, people would have said you are too old at 26, that you should quit. However, some women athletes now are producing their best in to their 30s. I intend to compete for another few years yet."

The afterglow of Atlanta 96 - the Michelle Smith Games, for the Irish at any rate will be around for some time yet.