Games gold win

By Ed Merrison
BELGRAVE swimmer Kelly Stubbins swam the relay leg of her life to take Commonwealth gold at the weekend.
Ms Stubbins, 21, swam the third leg of her 4 x 200m freestyle final on Saturday night, edging her team towards an unassailable lead from challengers England and New Zealand.
The winning Australian quartet was comprised of Commonwealth 100m freestyle winner Libby Lenton, Bronte Barratt and Linda MacKenzie, who swam the final and fastest leg.
On their way to the top of the podium, the women also set a Games record of 7 minutes 56.68 seconds, with second-placed England coming in over four seconds behind.
Ms Stubbins was particularly pleased to have swum the team’s second fastest leg.
“All the other girls had already raced and were looking to have some fun in the relay but I was in there to prove myself in my first international competition,” she said.
Speaking yesterday (Monday), Ms Stubbins said the win had not yet sunk in, especially with all the media attention that has followed the quartet’s victory.
“It’s really exciting and full-on, actually. It’s also a bit surreal – it’s been like a dream.
“I’ve got a gold medal and everything but I’ve wanted it for so long it feels like it hasn’t happened.
“It has, and I know it has, but it’s a really strange feeling,” she said.
Ms Stubbins said being part of the Games and the Commonwealth team had been an inspirational experience.
“It’s overwhelming as well because I didn’t know what to expect. Everybody’s just here to win gold, so it’s really good,” she said.
Despite the high expectations, Ms Stubbins managed to keep her composure in the race.
“I don’t really think I got nervous; I was more excited.
“The crowd was just so loud. Before I dived in I couldn’t hear a thing. It was awesome,” she said.
Among those watching from the stands were Ms Stubbins’s parents, Rhonda and Jon, and 19-year-old sister, Nikki, as well as friends and members of her swimming club, Haileybury Waterlions.