Swimming-New Zealand relies on Clareburt to end quarter-century drought

TOKYO, July 21 (Reuters) – New Zealander Lewis Clareburt was not even born when compatriot Danyon Loader won two swimming gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

It was the last time a New Zealander stood on the Olympic swimming podium.

But Clareburt, 22, could be the country’s best bet to end the quarter-century drought after a bronze medal at the world 400m individual medley in 2019.

After slashing his record by nine seconds in less than a year to get there, Clareburt is convinced that if the stars line up in Tokyo, he has as much of a chance as anyone to win a medal.

And the lack of crowds won’t be a problem either.

“If I can qualify for the final I think anything is possible, a medal could definitely be on the table,” he said.

“Being New Zealand, we don’t really have many people. So we probably have a little advantage over the rest of the world, ”he said.

“By the time I get out on that block, you know I’m ready to get mad and ready to take it out and go fast.”

The pandemic has posed challenges of preparation, without international competition since the world championships, but also without distractions from training, which Clareburt says could allow for high-quality performances in the Tokyo pool.

He recognized the pressure on him to hand out a medal, but largely ignored it.

“I’m just there for myself and for the team,” he told Reuters. “If I get a medal, you know, so be it.”

Clareburt has also become something of a star in recent weeks with TikTok videos of his Athlete Village experiences, and was stunned that one of them had over a million views.

“We’re doing something that you know makes us laugh a little bit,” he said. “It definitely distracts you from what you’re here to do. “

Editing by Sam Holmes

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