Mainstone Wins Silver in Team Time Trial

Western Australian Institute of Sport swimmer Rhys Mainstone has claimed a silver medal at the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai in the Team Time Trial event.

Mainstone coached by Matt Magee at the City of Perth Swimming Club teamed up with London-bound Olympians Ky Hurstand Melissa Gorman in a thriller of a race which saw the USA triumph over the 5km circuit by a mere 1.4 seconds from their Australian rivals in a time of 57.00.40.

Not unlike a team time trial in cycling each team consisted of three swimmers with teams set to start one minute apart. Each team must contain both a male and female member and it was Mainstone who was given the crucial task of leading the Australians around the 5km circuit.

“My job was very clear, I was the lead-out man. I had to set the fastest possible pace without it being too fast for Mel. Mel was the most important link in the team so we had to be very smart in how we swam this race”

Mainstone got the Australian Team off to an impressive start. With the clock ticking the Australians set a cracking pace with the trio quickly falling into formation and settling in to what would become a medal-winning performance.

Pre-race favourites Italy set a blistering pace and were fastest through the first time check however by the second check both Germany and the USA were piling on the pressure with Australia pushing their way into medal contention.

In a well-organised and disciplined display of team swimming it was with 2km to go that the Australians played their final card with Mainstone peeling off the front of the group to let Hurst come through and take up the reins in the run to the finish.

“My job as the lead-out man was done. I was just hoping I had done enough for the team. I had total confidence in Ky to take us to the line and knew we were in a good position” Mainstone said.

By the third and final time check it was the USA and Australia who had turned the race into a two-way battle for the World Title. Laying waste to the more favoured European teams it didn’t take long for the Australians to start swallowing up minor teams who had started several minutes ahead of them. “We were catching and then passing teams on that last lap” Mainstone laughed, “I knew at that point we were really flying”.

The leader board continued to change as teams started to pour across the finish line and it was the USA who jumped ahead of Germany into the gold medal spot with the Australians still to come.

The USA had started several minutes ahead of the Australians and it was at this point the agonising wait began as the trio of Mainstone, Hurst and Gorman hurtled their way down the home straight.

As the Australian Team neared the finish line the large crowd began counting down the difference between the time set by the USA and the running clock on the Australians. In the end it was a mere one second that separated the two nations with Australia claiming its first swimming medal at the 2011 World Championships.

For Mainstone there were mixed emotions at the finish having missed Olympic selection the day before in the 10km event.

“It’s bitter sweet I guess. I am disappointed with the marathon yesterday but I am going home a World Championship medallist today… what can I say?”