Yesterday's Olympian of the day

Inge de Bruijn

T The Olympics, at its best, is a rite of passage. Boys and girls, tender in years, come to the Games. Some win, some lose -- but most become men and women, they acquire a maturity, a dignity, a certain gravitas that stays with them for the rest of their lives.

One such, is Inge de Bruijn. Who, today, swam a brilliant 50m in 24.13 to break the existing world record and, in the process, extend her world record breaking spree after smashing the 100m freestyle just the other day. Incredibly, she now holds the world records for the 50m and 100m freestyle, the 100m butterfly, and the 50m butterfly (the last, a non-Olympic event that is only raced at world championships and other international swim meets).

This in itself would suffice to make her the Olympian of the Day. The fact that she already has two golds, and is a dead cert to acquire her third when the 50m freestyle final is swum tomorrow, is another. But we will, instead, recognise her for another achievement -- her incredible grace under intense, and unjust, pressure.

Ever since 'Inky' took to the pool in Sydney, the gossip-mongers have been up in arms. The innuendos started on day one and, this morning, hit a crescendo with various sections of the Australian press imply very directly that her performances owe to drugs.

"Evidence" is offered to support the charge. It is being pointed out, for instance, that Inge is 27. As are Jenny Thompson of the USA and Susie O'Neill, the home town heroine. The last two, the media points out, are waning, whereas Inge is blazing the pool -- surely, there has to be some darker secret to this?

Let's get to this a bit later in the programme, and examine the other reasons being extended, because those are why we chose her as our pick for today.

It is being pointed out that both in 1992 and 1996, she was kicked out of the Dutch swimming team for insubordination. That she hasn't yet won an Olympic medal, despite this being her third outing at the Games. That this kind of late blooming is rare in a high pressure sport.

What had all this to do with drugs? It is being grudgingly admitted that she has never yet failed to take a drug test, nor failed one she had taken. But, they add, drug testing technology is not as good as cheating technology.

Did it occur to anyone that by that logic, the whole pantheon of Australian swimmers could be similarly damned? No. When they talk of O'Neill and Thompson fading, are they talking of the same swimmers who have in this Olympics won golds?Obviously -- but when have facts got in the way of innuendo?

They point out that O'Neill, who had earlier hinted that she suspected de Bruijn (she later sent the Dutch girl an email, retracting and apologising, but why spoil the fun by mentioning that?) did not shake hands with her rival after being beaten in the 100m butterfly final on Sunday night. This act of O'Neill's is seen not as the act of a sore loser, but as one more indication that de Bruijn is suspect.

For the last four days, Inge de Bruijn has been bombarded with innuendo. She took it all. And smiled. And came back the next day and, in front of the speechless crowds, tamed the swimming sharks of Australia and America, smashing more records in the process.

The more they talked, the faster de Bruijn swam. When you come to think about it, that is the best possible response.

How did she do it?

Somewhere in 1998, she realised that talent alone would not do, if it was not backed by desire, and drive. She then linked up with American coach Paul Bergen, who put her on an incredibly rigorous schedule that saw her swimming dozens of laps in the pool, then climbing out to relax with rock climbing, weightlifting, karate practise, cross country running....

A focussed athlete would have found the programme hard to handle. De Bruijn had, in the past, failed to show up even for regular practise -- but now, she took all that Bergen had to give, and asked for more.

She wanted, you see! The fire had been lit, and was flaming high.

It is that fire de Bruijn has brought to Sydney. It is that fire, that burning drive to excel, that she has used as fuel to propel her at incredible speed through the water.

The Aussie swimming darlings had the collective voice of a partisan crowd to egg them on. De Bruijn had only one voice -- her own. But that one voice was enough -- for it was constantly telling her that she was the best, that she could do it, that she owed it to herself to shut the scoffers, her traducers, up.

''I needed to be tougher mentally,'' she said. ''Before, I never was. I was scared. Today, I'm not scared of anyone. I feel invincible.'' That is her way of putting it. There is another way. De Bruijn, pre-Sydney, was a maverick. Immensely talented, but incredibly unmotivated. She was a brand new Rolls Royce -- without a drop of petrol in the tank.

And then, in one cathartic series of swims in the Sydney pool, she put the past behind her.

In the space of less than a week, she catapulted herself into the pantheon of the swimming greats. But more importantly, in that same space of time, the irresponsible youth grew into a focussed, committed woman.

One who could take all that her accusers threw at her, without losing her poise and grace. And smile in the face of hostility. And perform, again and again, until they had no choice but to shut up.

Those who watched Inge de Bruijn over the last seven days, saw her grow more than she has in the last eight years. As a swimmer. More importantly, as a human being.

Isn't that what the Olympics is, in the ultimate analysis, all about?