Smith's triple whammy

UNBELIEVABLE. You just can't stop Michelle Smith. She has bloomed into the world's best swimmer, bar none. Last night, in the Georgia Tech Aquatic Centre, she added yet another Olympic gold medal - her third in the 200 metres individual medley with yet another stunning performance.

Unreal. Is it all a fantasy? No. Just typical of the Dubliner, who has shown mental and physical toughness beyond the call of duty to become the undisputed star of Atlanta 96.

Unstoppable. Smith seems that way now. This latest win was the least expected of all, and, perhaps, the most clinically executed. Stories of bad backs, sore shoulders and a hesitancy about competing in the event were thrown out the window.

And, when the starter's beeper sounded four minutes late at precisely 9:51 p.m. local time, Smith plunged into the 78 degree waters with a reaction time of just .80 of a second. Exactly two minutes 13.93 seconds later, in another Irish national record, Smith was touching the sensor pad beneath the starting block and claiming her third gold medal.

Just behind her, Canadian Marianne Limpert, a former rival of Smith's in the less grandiose setting of the Guinness Pool at Watling Street (in Dublin's Millennium year meet), claimed the silver, in 2:14.35, with world record holder and defending Olympic champion Li Lin of China in third.

Who could have thought such a thing could happen. Yet, Atlanta 96 is set to be remembered as the Michelle Smith Games.

"It really is like a dream now, isn't it? Like a dream," said Smith. "I did consider withdrawing from the event especially with the 200 metres butterfly coming up but, when I saw the times from the heats were nothing, exceptional, I had to go for it.

ONE, TWO, THREE. Yes, three gold medals, in the clutches of Ireland's new icon. As in the 400 metres individual medley and the 400 metres freestyle - where her main opposition came outside the pool in the face of American objections to her entry - Smith was, again, the dominant force in the water.

Smith showed her intent in the first leg the butterfly by reaching the opposite wall first, the split coming in a very fast 8.79 seconds, with American Allison Wagner, the silver medalist behind her in the 400m IM, chasing her. But, again, Wagner was in her wake.

The Irishwoman still led after the backstroke length (reaching the 100 metres split in 1:02.97) with Wagner, Lin and Limpert leading the chase. By the end of the third leg, Lin had edged into the lead with Smith slipping back to fourth place.

However, with the freestyle leg remaining, she just blew them all away with her power and strength down the home stretch and Smith was quickly turning to give a clenched fist salute to the growing army of Irish fans by the time Limpert confirmed her silver medal position.

Smith's power has been quite incredible all week. Last night, she combined it with speed. Her butterfly was immaculately performed and, if the backstroke is considered her weak stroke, she fooled everyone. It was simply a matter of staying in touch with the main contenders in the breaststroke leg and, once that was achieved, her freestyle was always going to do the rest.

Remarkably, she just crept into the final as seventh fastest qualifier - a mere .15 of a second ahead of the ninth placed Martina Moravcova of Slovakia.

And injury? What injury? "If you call a rash from my razor an injury, then I had one," she quipped. The rumour factory which has accompanied Smith since her first gold medal winning contributed somewhat to the situation. But, perhaps, there was a touch of pyschological warfare about it all. And, in that department, Smith has won every battle - in and out of the pool - she has competed in this week.

"I felt good after the breast stroke stage," she said. "Felt really good. I have put a lot of work into my preparations and I knew my aerobics were good, so I wasn't worried heading into that final leg at all. I did feel good.

"The whole thing is not sinking in just yet. After the first gold medal, I was thrilled. I thought I had achieved the ultimate. Now it is all like a dream. A lovely dream."

And there could be more to come in this magical fairytale. A real life fairytale. Smith competes in the 200 metres butterfly tomorrow - where she is overwhelming favourite - and could match the record four gold medal haul achieved by Kristine Otto in Seoul in 1988.

I didn't even know about that record. I don't worry about records. I just concentrate on winning races," said Smith.

The fairytale is set to continue.