Smith joins the greats

MICHELLE SMITH the decathlete of women's swimming, fingered gold for the second time in 48 hours and demanded the admiration of even the most grudging on another remarkable night for the Irish in the Olympic pool.

At the end of a day of raw turmoil in which the traditional Irish American harmony was under some strain, the Dubliner stood confirmed as the best 400 metres freestyle in the world.

And one sensed that even Janet Evans the fallen star of American women's swimming was moves to vague approval as Smith reached deep for the strength which sustained her over those last unforgettable 50 metres.

Stroke by stroke the lead which had looked invincible when the Irish woman surged tat the halfway point, was eaten away until in the end only 1.45 seconds separated her form those who would deny her the ultimate accolade.

Not since Pat O'Callaghan retained his hammer throwing title in Los Angeles in 1932 has an Irish athlete succeeded in winning two Olympic titles. For 64 years O'Callaghan's achievement stood as the monument to a remarkable athlete, and a barrier, it seemed, to those who sought to emulate him.

Now, in the space of just 48 hours, Smith had stood history on its head. And with two more visits to the pool scheduled for later in the week, who dares to put a limit on her remarkable talent and ambition.

The sweet smell of success travels fast and just two days after her win in the 400 metres individual medley had been watched by just a handful of supporters, there was a remarkably big Irish presence around the pool last evening.

The controversy which had preceded the final had it seemed merely served to bond the Irish and in contrast to Saturday's programme, there was an unmistakable element of passion in the vocal support.

Smith, in gear which appeared to have more in common with the fashion of the 1930s than modern swimming apparel, appeared not to notice the goodwill as the swimmers were introduced at the start.

With a singular sense of commitment she stared straight ahead, seeming not to notice either the crowd or the German swimmers on either side of her, Kerstin Kielgass and Dagmar Hase.

The race plan devised by Smith's husband and coach Erik de Bruin, called for a big effort at the start of the third hundred and with a certain inevitability, the Irish woman was soon away and gone. As more and more water separated her from the pursuit the signs at that stage were that Smith would win by a distance. As it transpired, however, Smith had to battle harder than at any stage since beginning her meteoric climb to the top three years ago.

Once base had been reached, however, all the tension evaporated miraculously. The new champion punched the air in triumph and the Irish in a capacity crowd of 15,500 were able to breathe easily for the first time almost five minutes.

"I'm, happy so happy that I cannot find words to express it," said Pat Hickey, president of the Olympic Council of Ireland. "We've waited a long time for a night like this and now that it's arrived I think nobody will begrudge it to us."