Jessicah SCHIPPER – WRMy favourite race of the day: you have great sporting athletes like SCHIPPER; it was a historical moment as China bags its first swimming Olympic gold medal; and everything is said and done in WR time.
Jessicah SCHIPPER needs to defend her title: she started off looking good, leading the race with LIU (CHN) being the only one to chase her. In the first 100M, only SCHIPPER was under WR, although LIU was chasing her only a head’s length behind. For the next 50M however, LIU was closing up and from behind, and unknown JIAO (CHN) had crept up into the third position. In the last 50M, LIU slowly but steadily surpassed SCHIPPER, both LIU and JIAO powering up ahead while SCHIPPER slowed down. The rest of the pool was left behind, the three of them – SCHIPPER, JIAO and LIU were all under WR pace.
As 19 year-old LIU propelled her last victorious 10M where she was half a body length ahead of everyone, she has created history. She had given another something to cheer for in the hearts of 1 billion over Chinese. Michael who? This is the time of LIU Zige of China. She’s the first Chinese Olympian Gold Medalist in a swimming event. Not only that, she broke the WR and it she clocked 10s faster than her PB! Swimmers train for years to be milliseconds faster and there, LIU shed 10s in that 1 race. That truly is, the SWIM OF HER LIFE.
GOLD: LIU (CHN) WR
SILVER: JIAO (CHN)
BRONZE: SCHIPPER (AUS)
What makes the race even more emotional was SCHIPPER’s patting on LIU’s head right after the race ended. LIU had created history, broke her record, took away her Gold Medal but still the Australian is oh-so-happy for her. Not a slight bit of disappointment was shown on her face, she has held on to the WR for 2 straight years and its broken today. She’s happy for the young Chinese, happy for the swimming world, happy for what the future will bring with this feat. SCHIPPER has an extraordinary sporting spirit in her.
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