Marieke Guehrer and Atte Liimatanien secure gold medals: 2011 Australian University Games – Recap
Marieke Guehrer and Atte Liimatanien added a gold medal to their medal tally by clinching the title of 100m back-stroke in Women’s and Men’s category on day two of the 2011 Australian University Games. The session was organised on September 28, at the Gold
Coast Aquatic Centre in Queensland.
University of Melbourne’s Guehrer continued her legendary performance as she captured her third gold medal of the session. The 100m back-stroke contestants were unable to escape Guehrer’s record breaking performance as the University of Melbourne’s pupil
earned her third record gold finish of the session.
She clocked a time of 1 minute and 04.81 seconds and won her third gold medal. Her time was just 0.08 seconds under the championship mark of 1 minute and 04.89 seconds, set by University of Western Australia’s Amy Lucas in 2008.
Guehrer’s impeccable strokes kept her following swimmers at bay and the champion proved her mettle for the title of 100m swim. Melbourne’s pupil suppressed the hopes of her competitors and remained in a lead throughout the two-lap swim. Her perfect stroke
was the main competitive edge which she had over her rivals.
She was followed by her team-member, Grace Loh, who was 0.25 seconds away from overwhelming the effort of her former finisher and settled on the podium for silver medal, with a timing of 1 minute and 05.06 seconds. Loh engaged Guehrer in severe competition
but Guehrer’s pace in the final 15 metres of the swim cemented her on the podium for gold medal.
Karina Leane of Flinders University was the third fastest swimmer as she remained 0.69 seconds slower and posted a time of 1 minute and 05.75 seconds for bronze medal.
Next was the equivalent event in Men’s corner, where Macquarie University’s Liimatanien made a noteworthy improvement in his qualification time and occupied the podium for gold medal in 58.72 seconds.
Liimatanien’s efforts were incredible and he received high appreciation from the arena for his gold medal. His quick dive and unmatchable co-ordination were the main reasons of his victory.
With his unbeatable effort, he was 0.32 seconds quicker from QLD University of Technology’s Andrew Gillespie, who completed his dual-lap race with an effort of 59.04 seconds for silver medal. Similarly, Gillespie was in a lead of 1.60 seconds over his subsequent
swimmer, Thomas Moreton, who secured the podium for bronze medal with a timing of 1 minute and 00.64 seconds.
Guehrer received enormous acknowledgement from the arena for her outshining performance in the championship. In addition, the champion expressed her hopes of training hard and making her country proud at international level of swimming.
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