Mackenzie Beats The Future, Closes On The Past

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday December 4, 2006

Stathi Paxinos

LINDA MacKenzie became the first Australian woman to come within cooee of Tracey Wickham's 28-year-old national record for the 400 metre freestyle when she held off a field of promising teenagers to snare her fourth consecutive national title in Brisbane last night.

Wickham's time of four minutes, 6.28 seconds was a world record when she set it in Berlin in 1978 and has stood apart from all Australian challengers until MacKenzie's effort last night.

There was supposed to be a changing of the guard in last night's final at the national titles, with the 22-year-old MacKenzie taking on the next generation of Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer, Haylee Reddaway and Stephanie Williams.

But MacKenzie showed the fighting qualities that have made her the country's middle-distance champion when she crushed the field to win in 4:06.79, nearly two seconds better than her previous best of 4:08.46.

She said she had no idea until she looked at the scoreboard at the end of the race that she had come so close to Wickham's record, which she would now target at next year's world championships in Melbourne.

"That would be awesome - I would be so stoked if I did get to that stage ... more hard training and hopefully I'll get there," MacKenzie said.

Barratt, 17, finished second in 4:08.34, followed by Palmer, 16, in 4:11.05 and Reddaway, 19, in 4:11.70.

Meanwhile, Libby Lenton last night said she would treat as a backhanded compliment media reports that her muscular physique and that of her training partner, Leisel Jones, would raise suspicions of drug-taking from rivals.

Lenton qualified second fastest for tonight's 100m butterfly final with a time of 59.02 behind world champion Jessicah Schipper (58.20). She said she had been upset by the innuendo.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't upset me a little bit but you have to look at it as a backhanded compliment [because] people are saying those things because you are performing so well," Lenton said.

"It's a bit sad those allegations can come against you, especially when I know I do everything to the best of my abilities without illicit drugs or enhancements in that area."

The Australians have dominated women's swimming since the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Stephan Widmer, coach of Jones and Lenton, said he was astounded by the speculation in Brisbane media, with a commercial television station and newspaper carrying similar stories. He said his swimmers were clean and their physiques and performances were definitely not so out of proportion that they warranted suspicion.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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