I was standing on the starting block in lane three waiting for the starting pistol, suddenly it fired and I hurled my body into the water and began to swim as fast as my body would take me. I neared the end of the first fifty metres and I became aware that the African in land two was quite a way behind me. I executed a perfect turn and then swam as fast as I could. I reached the end and while I was catching my breath I realised that I have won the heat and beaten Mackintosh. About five seconds later the score came up on the board, I had set a new Olympic record.
After that race I went from an unknown British Swimmer to one of Britain’s biggest stars destined for a medal. I was interviewed by about ten different television channels. I became famous over night. Television channels were also eager to interview Mackintosh for his thoughts of me and what he thought about coming second. He said he thought I was an excellent athlete, but beating him was just a fluke, he also said I did not have a hope of a medal this year. I just replied “wait and see!” I then went to shake his hand but he turned and walked away.
The rest of that day was mainly celebrating and having a good time. The next morning however was very different. My trainer woke me up at the crack of dawn for training, he just kept repeating that I had done well in the heat but I was not to let myself go now. The semi-finals were just five hours away, so my trainer sent me to relax and get some rest. I went and had a massage and a sauna. With just one and a half-hours left before the big race I made my way to the stadium.
The race did not go as well as I had hoped, I came in second, which was enough to qualify for the final, but I was hoping to have come first. I still had the fastest time at the Olympics so far so I did not mind.
I did not sleep at all that night I was too nervous about the final the next day. I kept thinking about the worst possible scenarios, like if I fell off the starting block before the start of the race, or I swam to the middle of the pool and froze. I could not get these thoughts out of my head. There were now only three hours left and I was pacing up and down my balcony telling myself “you can do it.” Over and over again. Then my trainer knocked on my door and shouted,
“Its show time!”
Entering the stadium I saw Mackintosh, I tried to wish him good luck but he did not reply, this worried me. I thought the other swimmers were all against me but I was soon reassured when I entered the locker room and the other swimmers wished me good luck. “Its time for the race.” A voice shouted from the locker room door. We all made our way out one by one to our lanes. I was lane three, Mackintosh was lane four. We had to wait about five seconds for the starting pistol, but that five seconds felt like five hours, and then it fired. I have no clear recollection’s of the race its self, but I remember finishing and not knowing who had won. We were all watching the score boards they announced first and second place would be decided by a photo finish. A few seconds went by, then up on the score board came
‘Second place: J. Mackintosh’. I had won. I was the Olympic Champion.
