From almost giving up swimming to Commonwealth champion, Willmott completes golden turnaround
BySportsbeat
Published 05/04/2018 at 15:42 GMT
Aimee Willmott was the nearly woman of British swimming for so long that she almost hung up her goggles but she broke her golden duck in style with a sensational victory on the first day of the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
The women's 400m IM was the first final in the pool and Willmott and long-time rival Hannah Miley served up a thriller of a race.
But where almost without fail, Miley has emerged on top in their battles, this time Willmott surged through on the final 50m to claim victory in 3:34.90 and upgrade the silver medal she won in Glasgow four years ago.
And Willmott revealed afterwards that a succession of injuries and the abrupt closure of her swimming programme in London had led to her questioning her future in the sport.
"After the 12 months I've had with two broken ribs, a bashed elbow and knee surgery it was just a huge sigh of relief to get here. To just do the business is incredible," said Willmott, who now trains up in Stirling.
"The setbacks were really bad to the point where me and my parents couldn't even have a conversation because I was just so stressed and I didn't know what I was doing.
"When you break your ribs, you can't really do a lot so from swimming twice a day and gym the programme in London closing down and sitting on a sofa for eight weeks was really hard to deal with. I've learned a lot, gained a lot of confidence and got the enjoyment back. I'd lost that a little bit before."
It was a race worthy of the sellout crowd at the Optus Aquatics Centre, and while there were two Australians in the race, all eyes were on the battle in the middle of the pool.
Miley was looking to make it a hat-trick of 400m medley Commonwealth titles, and looked on course when she took the lead heading into the final length.
But it was there that Willmott found her second wind, and after so much heartbreak at the hands of Miley, it was a mix of relief and elation at the final touch.
She added: "I finish second pretty much every time, and I have raced against Hannah so many times and last time I was second.
"I knew this time I could have it in me if I just swam the race a little bit better and actually raced it rather than thinking: ‘If I swim, it might be me and I might get a medal.' And I think that really paid off.
"I just walked out there, and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing, I just thought: I am never going to experience anything like that. It was kind of like being back in London although I don't think anyone was cheering for me!"
Sportsbeat 2018
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement