Ace swimmer comes up trumps after dealt bad hands

Perth Now

10 hours ago

Lani Pallister says it sucked when COVID cruelled her first Olympics.
"My Olympics probably were the worst possible for literally anyone internationally," Pallister told AAP.
Did it make her mentally tough?
"A lot more things before that have made me mentally tough," said the standout swimmer at Australia's selection trials in Adelaide for the looming world titles.
"I don't think there's many athletes internationally that have had heart surgery, an eating disorder, glandular fever, post-viral fatigue, and then a functional rhinoplasty all in one year, let alone across their whole career.
"Going through that (in 2021), I was just 19, turning 20. I don't think there's anyone in the world that has had to deal with that sort of thing.
"So getting COVID was just another thing on top of that.
"As much as that sucked, it's just something that happened ... I did the best I could and played the cards that I had."
COVID forced Pallister's hand at last year's Paris Olympics.
Qualifying for freestyle events over 400m, 800m and 1500m, she had to withdraw from all but the 800m.
"You prepare four years of your life for something and then it all falls apart because one thing goes wrong," Pallister said.
"I was just disappointed; I'd lost an opportunity to do something really special and it only comes around once every four years."
Pallister did win a gold medal in Paris as part of Australia's 4x200m freestyle relay. While grateful, it was just a consolation.
"I don't think anyone thinks they're going to qualify for three individual events and a relay and only end up swimming one individual and the relay," she said.
"Obviously I came home with a gold medal which was just incredible and I'm really lucky with that.
"But I didn't swim anywhere near what I thought I was capable of in the 800, which I think I demonstrated this week."
In the Olympic 800m final, Pallister struggled to sixth in eight minutes 21.09 seconds.
At the Adelaide trials, she clocked 8:10.84 to break Ariarne Titmus's Australian record.
Pallister also won the 400m in a personal best time.
And in the last race of the selection meet for the worlds starting on July 27 in Singapore, she set a Commonwealth record in the 1500m freestyle.
Her time of 15:39.14 was not only one second quicker than New Zealander Lauren Boyle's mark set in 2015, but almost 10 seconds faster than Pallister's previous personal best.
The feat was spurred, in part, by forcing herself to watch the Olympic 1500m final on television.
"I actually sat and watched the 1500 final at the Olympics in the village with a mask on, away from everyone," Pallister said.
"I put myself through it. It has given me a lot more motivation - not that I needed it. But I never want to feel that way again."
Pallister was coached by her mum and 1988 Olympian Janelle until late March this year when she joined master mentor Dean Boxall.
"Everything that I have spoken to Dean about is a three-year plan," she said.
"I'm not hell-bent on being the best in the world this year."
The plan takes her to redemption at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"And if that means I have to wear a mask 24 hours of the day away from everyone in LA, then that's just something that I'm willing to do," she said.
"But I also think having my first Olympics be a disappointing outcome sometimes ends up being a good thing.
"You learn a lot of lessons from disappointment rather than just getting everything you want straight away."