It speaks volumes for Michael Houlie’s ambition that in the early moments after winning a Commonwealth Games silver medal inside Glasgow’s Tollcross International Swimming Centre, he was “annoyed” with himself.
“Annoyed” because he knows he had gold at his fingertips. “I know that I’ve been faster than this.” Indeed he had. He even broke the Games record on the first leg during the 100m earlier in the competition, where he’d turned in 26.38sec.
Anything near a repeat of that would have won him the gold in the 50m final, which is why he was so annoyed. He’d come so close, leading for 40m before being caught by a surging Sam Williamson. The Australian touched in 26.50, with Houlie following him in 26.77.
Never mind that he had beaten the greatest-ever men’s breaststroker, Adam Peaty-Ramsay, to the wall. The English man had to settle for third in 26,94. But spare a thought for South Africa’s other finalist, Chris Smith.
Almost forgotten in the hype around Houlie, who was the meat in a sandwich of Williamson and Peaty-Ramsay, was Smith. He touched fourth, 0.01 seconds behind the breaststroke GOAT. 0.01 seconds separating him from one of the greatest nights of his career – and he’s still only 20.
“It’s not what I wanted but it is what I got,” said Houlie in the media mixed zone. “I can’t really remember the race in detail but I will take a look and get the feedback and move forward. There’s a lot of things I can say technically weren’t great, but it’s one race. We move forward, I’ve got to be grateful with silver, even though I was here for gold.”
The other medal on the night came from Erin Gallagher, one of the veterans on the team at the age of 27, but having the fun and Games of her life. The 100m butterfly bronze is added to her 50m ‘fly bronze earlier in the week and adds another medal to her glittering CV.
Elsewhere, reigning Commonwealth Games 50m champion Lara van Niekerk won both her races, going 30.23 in the morning and then taking her semi-final inn 30.63 to qualify second fastest for the final. She sets such high expectations of herself that she said she needs to go back and look “at where I got a few things wrong”.
The world will be on watch for the final. Rebecca Meder will join her in the final, after her 31.53 swim placed her 8th fastest overall, while Kaylene Corbett will be smacking her lips in anticipation of her preferred 200m after her 31.60 left her 9th overall, just missing out on the elite eight.
See results and races summary for full Monday details.
Photo: ANTON GEYSER/Team SA