Mireia Belmonte 1st Woman To Reign For Spain, By 0.03 In Tumbler With Maddie Groves

Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Women’s 200m butterfly

On a night of fast firsts and curved-ball results, Mireia Belmonte joined the history makers as the first woman ever to reign for Spain in the Olympic pool at the end of a crackling battle with Australian Maddie Groves that ended with gold 0.03sec ahead of silver, the bronze, 0.32sec further adrift, returned to Natsumi Hoshi, of Japan, four years on.

It is 24 years since Spain celebrated swimming gold in the Olympic pool. That was at home in Barcelona and the hero was Martin Lopez Zubero in the 200m backstroke.

The champion of 1992 congratulated the champion of 2016 on social media:

Very excited to see @missbelmont win the 200 butterfly gold medal tonight in Rio. The Olympic dream of winning has become a reality. Congratulations Mireira! Everyone is proud of you! Muy contento de ver @missbelmont ganar los 200 mariposa esta noche en Río . El sueño olímpico de ganar se ha convertido en una realidad . Felicidades Mireira! Todo el mundo esta orgulloso de ti!  To The Brave

The race was going to go to the brave – and coaches Fred Vergnoux, for Belmonte, and Michael Bohl, for Groves, knows it.

Groves set the pace, Belmonte shadowed to half-way, the two fighting to the last turn and then all the way home, Hoshi never far away and Cammile Adams (USA) another challenging from the podium tonight from lane 8.

If Groves was to have a chance, she would need to play the strength of greater first-half speed than Belmonte and then fight for home knowing the multi-talented Spaniard known for her stamina would bring on the battle.

Mireia Belmonte – PBK

And so it played out. Groves turned in a sizzling 27.49 down the first lap. The tone was set. By half-way, Aussie colours to the mast, her second lead had been reduced by half, Belmonte poised to pounce.

This is where the Spaniard would draw level and then draw away if Groves had drained the tank being brave. By the last turn, the 2014 European champion had the edge, 1:32.17 to 1:32.31, Hoshi closing in fast on 1:32.91.

Belmonte in 5, Groves in 4 and Hoshi in 6, the three lanes leading to the podium seemed to have settled their argument about 10m out from home. But Groves was not done. Belmonte sensed it, dug deeper, Groves fought on, Belmonte refused to yield, her ambition to add gold to the silver and bronze medals she won at London 2012 driving her on. And so it went to the wall, the last stroke decided by the whisp of a whisker …

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