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Dunn sizzles in trial swim

By Jacquelin Magnay, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 July 1996

SYDNEY medley swimmer Matthew Dunn has clocked the fastest 200m freestyle that Australian swimming head coach Don Talbot has seen, but the impressive performance may not be enough to earn him a chance of a relay medal.

Dunn had a 200m freestyle time trial on Tuesday to try to force his way into the 4 x 200m freestyle relay team.

He was urged on by the entire Australian swimming team, who were whooping, whistling and yelling, and had Michael Klim, ranked No 1 in the world at the 200m freestyle, and the relay swimmer Glen Housman acting as "rabbits" on either side of him.

Dunn responded magnificently in the Olympic pool, even without the pressure and atmosphere expected to be generated later this week when the competition begins.

He clocked 1:50.47, faster than the winning time at the Olympic trials earlier this year, when he finished sixth, and just shy of his personal best, clocked at the Pan Pacific championships last year.

Talbot described it as the fastest time trial by an Australian, but whether it will be fast enough to usurp the performances of the relay heat swimmers, Kieren Perkins, Ian Van der Wal, Glen Housman and Malcolm Allen, and earn Dunn a place in the relay final is yet to be determined.

Talbot will assess Dunn's time with the heat times of the other four when working out who will swim the relay final with Klim and the national champion, Daniel Kowalski.

"That was an excellent swim by himself," said Talbot, who vowed to consider the lack of atmosphere and competition at Dunn's swim when making the final team selection.

"It gives the others something to aim at, but whether it was fast enough, I don't know.

"He sprinted the 150m but when the others dropped off and he was by himself for the last lap, he didn't quite hold up enough."

The relay is considered a hot medal prospect for the Australian team, with gold a possibility, but Dunn also has the 400m individual medley on the same day.

Dunn said he might have gone out too hard in the trial, turning at the 100m in a personal best split time of 53.6s, but he was well satisfied with the effort.

"It's a pity if a couple of guys swim faster, because it means I can't get a medal off this swim," he said.

Dunn was a member of last year's Pan Pacific relay team who beat the Americans for the first time in 39 years.