Michelle Smith — our greatest Olympian?

The mixed fortunes of our Irish competitors in the London Olympics has prompted me to write a defence of our most successful Olympian, Michelle Smith de Bruin.

I was living in England when Michelle produced those great performances on that magical July week in 1996. It was a time when the Irish didn’t have much to shout about in international sport — the Charlton era in soccer had just ended, our rugby was in the doldrums; only our great athlete Sonia was flying the international flag with pride.

As soon as Michelle won her three gold and one bronze medal it was claimed her achievements came from nowhere.

Let us examine the facts. In September 1994 she achieved fifth place in the 400 metres individual medley event at the World Championships in Rome; in August 1995 (just a year before the Olympics) Michelle won two gold and a silver at the European Championships in Vienna. Just to prove her Olympic success was not her swan song she won a further two gold and two silver medals at the European Championships in Spain in 1997. She was injured, so did not compete at the World Championships in January 1998 and a few months later a urine sample she produced for a drug test was found to have been contaminated with whiskey. It was never proved that she did this deliberately and you have to ask why would she do so, having effectively retired from competitive swimming. In my opinion, her offence was at the very lower order of offences in sport.

It has always amazed me that, in contrast to the hysteria conceiving Michelle’s alleged “crime”, drug controversies concerning Carl Lewis, Linford Christie and Christine Ohuruogu (to name just two) barely rate a mention from the media. In fact, as I write, Christine’s redemption in the UK is complete, as she had just won a silver in the 400m at the Olympic Games.

So, in my eyes, Michelle you and your family should hold your heads up high for the pleasure you have given me and thousands of others. I consider her by far our greatest Olympian and wish to thank her again for those magical nights in July 1996.

Martin Owens

Donnybrook

Douglas

Co Cork