Van Almsick not satisfied with golden treble
Patrick Vignal
Staging one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of swimming is not enough for Franziska van Almsick, who wants to crown a memorable week with victory in her preferred event, the 200 metres freestyle.
The former teenage phenomenon, who has ended a decade of frustration by winning three gold medals at the European championships in her home town of Berlin this week, loves the 200 metres so much that she pulled out of the 100 metres butterfly to concentrate on her speciality.
It was over 200 metres that she experienced the highlight of her turbulent career, winning gold at the 1994 world championships in Rome in a time of one minute 56.78 seconds that still stands as the world record.
"The 200 metres world record is something I hold sacred," said Van Almsick, now 24. "The distance means a lot to me, much more than the 100 metres. That makes it very difficult because it puts a lot of pressure on me."
After a well-deserved rest on Thursday, Van Almsick will be back in action in the high-tech Berlin pool on Friday for the heats of her favourite race, the final of which is on Saturday.
Van Almsick emerged as the big favourite for the 200 when she clocked one minute 57.74 seconds in winning the German title in May -- by far the best time this year and her fastest in seven years.
Her chances of a fitting conclusion to her stunning championships show increased after Olympic silver medallist Martina Moravcova of Slovakia decided on Thursday to pull out of the race to concentrate on the 100 metres butterfly.
But Van Almsick did not wait until the 200 metres to shine in a competition, dubbed the Franzi Festival by the local press, which is being staged just a stone's throw from the East Berlin neighbourhood where she grew up.
WORLD RECORD
The photogenic swimmer, back at her best after years in the wilderness, started her campaign by inspiring a German victory in a world record time in Monday's 4x100 metres freestyle relay before anchoring the German quartet to another gold in Tuesday's 4x200 freestyle event.
She went on to take the blue riband 100 metres freestyle on Wednesday, rallying from sixth place at the turn for her first individual title at a major event since she won gold in the 100 metres freestyle at the 1995 Europeans in Vienna.
"It's amazing to be on top of the podium again for the first time after seven years," she said after becoming the most successful female swimmer at European championships with 19 medals, including 16 gold.
"I've probably never been happier in my whole life," she said. "Everybody's smiling at me and everybody's standing by me. It's wonderful."
Van Almsick has gone through hard times since bursting into the limelight as a fresh-faced 14-year-old by winning silver for the 200 metres freestyle and bronze for the 100 metres freestyle at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Two years later came the Rome triumph and nothing seemed capable of stopping her from winning the Olympic title at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
She was the overwhelming favourite but she faltered, finishing second to Claudia Poll of Costa Rica, and then everything went wrong.
"I would have liked best to stay on the block and not swim at all," she said after a failure that disgusted her so much that she considered ending her career -- at 18.
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
She took a break for several months before announcing that she was carrying on but nothing went her way after that.
A motorcycle accident the following year left her sidelined for months and more injury worries followed, with a series of personal crises on top.
Struggling with boyfriend woes and weight problems, she reached a depressing low at the Sydney Games two years ago, leaving with just a relay bronze medal after a dismal performance.
The popular press, who had previously treated her as a sex symbol, turned against her. A Berlin tabloid newspaper called her "Franzi van Speck" (Franzi van Flab) and ran a big, unflattering picture of her bulging out of her swimsuit in Sydney.
At the Olympics she began an affair with German handball international Stefan Kretzschmar, who subsequently split up with his wife and has been her companion for the last two years.
The tattooed Kretzschmar, who carefully nurtures his rebel image but also has a reputation as being a model athlete, inspired van Almsick's metamorphosis.
"I love this man so much," said Van Almsick, who blew a kiss to her boyfriend watching on television after her 100 metres triumph. "He keeps supporting me."
Her relationship with the flamboyant Kreztschmar meant Van Almsick never left the headlines but she desperately wanted to prove that she deserved attention not just for glamour but also for her sporting achievements.
"My life has been a bunch of puzzle pieces the last 15 years," she said. "Now I have the feeling the puzzle is coming together."
