Marieke Guehrer captures ten gold medals at the 2011 Australian University Games - Part 1
The 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Marieke Guehrer went full throttle to dictate terms to her competitors at the 2011 Australian University Games, by winning ten gold medals in the competition. The championship was a three-day competition,
which was held at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Queensland, from September 27-29.
University of Melbourne’s Guehrer was the arena’s favourite from the opening ceremony of the event. She has a spectacular international career while representing Australia at the international stages of World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Summer
Universiade. Guehrer won the gold medal of 50m butterfly and bronze medal of 4*100m freestyle relay at the 2009 Rome World Championships.
The next year, she achieved a silver medal in the 50m butterfly and gold medal in the 4*100m freestyle relay, while representing Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. A month earlier, she competed in the same events at the 2011 Summer Universiade, where
she again occupied a silver medal in 50m butterfly and gold medal in freestyle relay.
At the Australian University Games, her participation comprised of Women 50 metre backstroke, 100 metre butterfly and 4*100m medley relay on the first day.
Then, Guehrer was scheduled to take part in the swims of 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke and 4*100m freestyle relay, whereas, she contended in 100m Freestyle, 4*50m freestyle relay and 4*50m Medley Relay on the final day of the championship.
The 25-year-old Guehrer was very excited and keen to take part in the championship, as she is eyeing the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) organised Swimming World Cup Series, starting this October.
On the opening day of the championship, Guehrer strangled her competitors in the Women’s 50m breast-stroke, picking up her first gold medal of the championship. Melbourne’s athlete showered her proficiency in the single-lap back-stroke swim by occupying
the title of the event.
The gold medallist demonstrated her amazing ability by edging out her competitor on the finishing end with a difference of 0.03 seconds only. Her team-member, Grace Loh was highly determined to snatch the gold medal from arena’s top favourite and she was
going neck-to-neck with Guehrer, but the latter swimmer stretched her arms towards the finishing wall and concluded her race first.
Guehrer clocked a time of 29.05 seconds, which not only brought her gold medal, but she also improved her previous mark with a remarkable difference of 0.64 seconds. Subsequently, Loh posted a time of 29.08 seconds for silver medal, while Karina Leane of
Flinders University transpired as the third position holder, with a timing of 30.35 seconds.
With her gold medal in the opening event of the championship, Guehrer asserted her dominance over her competitors. Everyone in the arena was astonished with the immense battle between Guehrer and Loh, who remained just a nail away from each other.
Her splendid efforts contributed immensely towards enhancing the importance of the championship, while this also aroused the hopes of her fans as they started expecting more from her. Not disappointing her followers, Guehrer was also not done yet. After
a few minutes, she once again appeared on the starting blocks for the 100m butterfly playoff, where she qualified as the second fastest swimmer into the final.
In addition, the crowd was very eager to see what Guehrer brings to them in the final of the 100m butterfly.
Continued in Part 2.
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