Durban North swimmer reflects on Olympic debut
The 21-year-old and two time Midmar Mile men's champion produced South Africa’s best Olympic 10km Marathon swim finish to date finishing in eighth place.
THERE was much to celebrate for Durban North resident, Michael McGlynn at his first ever Olympic Games in Tokyo recently.
The 21-year-old and two time Midmar Mile men’s champion produced South Africa’s best Olympic 10km Marathon swim finish to date finishing in eighth place.
In what was a competitive field McGlynn ended the grueling swim just behind Rio 2016 champion Ferry Weertman of the Netherlands in a time of 1hr 52min.
“Honestly I would’ve taken 20th but it was such an amazing achievement breaking into the top 10 of the world’s best. I had no idea where I was in the pack once I dove into the water. As the race progressed I felt more and more confident but it was quite tough as well because of the temperature. The water was quite warm but I’m happy to finish eighth in my first ever Olympic Games. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.
“This swim has definitely given me more belief in myself and my own abilities. I know I have to build on what I’ve achieved and I’m keeping an eye on the Paris Olympic games. If all goes to plan, considering where we are at the moment with the Covid-19 pandemic my goal is to qualify for another Olympic games. I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported me in this journey, they’ve all played a part in my success,” he said.
McGlynn also had the opportunity to watch Tatjana Schoenmaker win gold in world record time in the 200m breaststroke and a silver in the 100m breaststroke.
“That was an incredible motivator and just a privilege to be a part of. I was in Tokyo about 10 days before my event and I was lucky enough to be among the SA team to cheer on our swimmers, who were all incredible. Seeing Tatjana win was something I’ll never forget and singing our national anthem at the medal ceremony was a moment to cherish,” he said.
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