Marieke Guehrer captures ten gold medals at the 2011 Australian University Games - Part 3
With two gold winning efforts on the first day of the 2011 Australian University Games, University of Melbourne’s Marieke Guehrer became the centre of attention for everyone. Her exceptional swimming placed her on the top of medal winners, while she was
already set to claim her third crown of the event.
The Women’s 4*100m medley relay was the last event of the first session, while the relay teams were escorted to the starting blocks, so the event could begin. Despite her exhausting swims, the 25-year-old Guehrer seemed fresh and was eager to clinch the
title of the event.
Relay squad of University of Melbourne remained dominant from the start of the race. Guehrer’s team-member, Grace Loh, displayed her energetic swim and put forward a vital role in earning a gold finish. She was the starter of the relay event. Loh’s lead
was enhanced by Samantha Marshall, who took part in the breast-stroke swim and crushed the hopes of her competitors.
Next was Guehrer, who performed the butterfly swim and left her competitors, baffled. The race was continued by 19-year-old Jessica Morrison, who demonstrated her exhausting efforts and sprinted her way to the finishing wall, clocking an accumulative time
of 4 minutes and 20.05 seconds.
With the combine efforts of Melbourne’s swimmers, they won the gold medal and lowered the championship mark with a significant difference. The previous mark was held by University of Queensland’s team, which submitted a time of 4 minutes and 30.71 second
in 2010.
Guehrer’s mounting efforts started to startle everyone, as the Australian took away all the titles she wanted on the foremost day of the championship. Guehrer’s undisputed efforts made her leader of the pack and she gained more confidence for her next day’s
events.
The day started with the commencement of Women’s 50m freestyle, in which Guehrer had dominated the qualification rounds and defeated her team-member, Jessica Morrison, with a difference of 0.50 seconds.
Just like the first day, Guehrer remained undisputed in the single-lap event and bettered her own championship record of 25.74 seconds, set at the 2009 University Games. Guehrer was lucky enough to hit the wall 0.01 second and under her own record, as she
clocked a time of 25.73 seconds for gold medal. This was her second record-breaking effort and fourth title win of the championship.
Her immaculate freestyle stroke and perfect co-ordination endowed her with the competitive edge. With her splendid effort, she remained almost one second ahead of her following swimmer, Morrison, who appeared on the finishing wall with a timing of 26.67
seconds.
Guehrer’s unmatchable dive made her the vanguard of 50m freestyle finalists, while her aggressive swim in the shortest freestyle event played a vital role in her gold claiming effort.
Guehrer’s propelling swim in the one-lap event was highly acknowledged by the arena, while, the arena’s favourite was set to move towards the starting block for her second final of the day, which was the 50m butterfly.
The champion’s notable effort in the 50m freestyle made her the strongest contender for the gold medal of butterfly discipline, while spectators waited anxiously to see their champion dominating the event.
Continued in Part 4.
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