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  Petria Thomas: proving her medal March 28, 2004 Reporter :Tim Sheridan  The next week is vital for Australia's elite swimmers. They either perform well at the Olympic selection trials or forget about going to Athens with the Australian team. This unforgiving method of selection gives the trials an emotional edge, but it's a world in which Petria Thomas is very much at home.Although she is nearing the end of her career, the Petria Thomas story is only just becoming well known in her home country. For years, her low profile in Australia has been at odds with her ability, her achievements and the respect she has from fellow athletes. Ian Thorpe believes Petria should carry the Australian flag into the Athens Olympic stadium at the head of the Australian team. The reason is simple: Petria embodies the determination, courage and spirit of fair play that characterises the finest athletes. As a teenager from the New South Wales north coast, Petria made her first Australian swimming team in 1993. For many years Petria swam in the shadow of the great Australian butterflier Susie O'Neill. "She could've gone 'to hell with it!'", says veteran Australian coach Don Talbot. "But she didn't. She kept going and kept improving herself."  At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, O'Neill took gold in the 200 metres butterfly, while Petria announced herself with a silver. By the time of the Sydney Olympics, O'Neill had retired and Petria's body was screaming at her to follow suit. Her answer was no, but the argument had to be won with the help of surgeon Dr Des Bokker. By the time Petria went to the 2001 World Titles in Japan, she'd come back from two shoulder surgeries and an ankle reconstruction. Clear of O'Neill's supremacy, she finally broke through for major precious metal, swimming brilliantly for three gold medals, including the 100 and 200-metre butterfly double. The next year was almost as good, five Commonwealth Games gold medals from eight events, then backing up in Japan for three more golds at the Pan Pacifics. Few will forget Petria's leg of the 4x100 medley relay on that steamy night in Yokohama. She began her two laps well back from one of the great swimmers in history, Jenny Thompson, but somehow hauled in the American to put Australia in the chair for gold. It was the fastest female medley butterfly leg in swimming history. Yet by early last year, Petria's left shoulder was coming out of its joint at the national championships. Off to see Dr Des again. Petria passed up the 2003 World Titles in Barcelona, where the 200 fly was won in a time well below her best. She was fresh out of plaster and feebly swimming out the Australian winter one-armed at her Australian Institute of Sport base in Canberra.  At 28, the road back gets a bit longer and this time she's in constant pain. Petria's husband Julian Jones is head of strength and conditioning at the AIS and recalls that each time his wife has come back from surgery, her times have improved."I just feel I haven't swum my best race yet," she said two weeks ago, aware that at the trials and the Athens Olympics, the number of those 200 fly races can be counted on one hand. Shy and retiring, Petria tends to be a bit guarded with those she doesn't know, but the good news is she wants to change that. "It'd be nice if one day people got to know the real me." Come Athens, we'll probably get the chance. And you can watch Petria Thomas chasing her dream in the final of the 100 metres butterfly on Sunday night on the Nine Network. |
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