After all the emotion of Friday’s 100-metre freestyle, Cate Campbell was back in action in Saturday’s 50m free.
It was Campbell’s final chance.
How difficult must it be to pick yourself up after enduring the sort of disappointment that one must fear in the deepest recesses of your soul, having been ill coming into what could be the final event of her career.
A soul-testing 24 hours later, Campbell was back.
Facing another test. A final test.
A test she passed.
To get into the final would have required a sub-25-second swim, and Campbell was one of seven swimmers who managed that, edging out Mollie O’Callaghan with a time of 24.85.
Campbell looked slightly slow off the blocks, but powered down the first 40m of the Brisbane Aquatic Centre pool, before fading slightly in the final 10m.
Still, it was enough to get her into the evening’s final as the sixth-fastest qualifier.
Shayna Jack clocked the fastest time of the heats, swimming a speedy 24.02 after the emotion of qualifying for her first Olympics in Friday night’s 100m.
“I didn’t get very much sleep last night,” Jack said.
“I just really wanted to wind down and continue my focus.
“I’ll definitely spend time after tonight acknowledging what I’ve been through and what I’ve done this week and let myself feel that excitement.”
Jack qualified ahead of Meg Harris (24.47), Bronte Campbell (24.56), reigning Olympic champion Emma McKeon (24.72) and Olivia Wunsch (24.73).
Alexandria Perkins was the final qualifier in 25.02.
ABC Sport will be live blogging every day of the Paris Olympics from July 27 (Australian time).
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