The 400IM Funky Trunker battle in Tokyo
Tokyo Bronze Medalist Brendon Smith is set for ISL Season 3 to begin
With ISL Season 3 set to kick off this week, we look back on the awesome swim by Funky Trunks F-Teamer and Tokyo bronze medalist Brendon Smith and fellow Funky Trunker and Kiwi Olympian Lewis Clareburt.
Both Funky Trunkers have previously competed for the New York Breakers, both hold the 400m IM national record in their respective countries, both share the same birthday and both had massive time drops at their national championships earlier this year. Their personal best times were separated by only 0.17 seconds leading into Tokyo. Both went head-to-head in the 400m individual medley on the opening day of the Games.
They had excellent heat swims, with Lewis's 4:09.49 swim setting a new Oceania record and qualifying him second fastest into the final. The Oceania record was quickly broken in the next heat when Brendon finished in a time of 4:09.27, setting a new Australian record and earning him a lane 4 start in the final. The final was unpredictable with Lewis touching the wall in front half way through the race and holding the second place position with 50m of the freestyle leg remaining. But with 25m to go Lewis couldn't hang on.
When interviewed poolside Lewis said, "I've never felt that horrible in the last 100m. I could see myself in such a good position going into that last 100m, and then the piano fell."
In contrast, Brendon had the whole field ahead of him, trailing for much of the race. He charged from 7th place in the final freestyle leg to a bronze medal finish in a time of 4:10.38, securing Australia's first medal of the Games.
Lewis, 22, who swims under Gary Hollywood at Capital Swim Club in Wellington, won his first major international medal by finishing third in the 400m IM at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He followed this up with another bronze at the 2019 World Championships, finishing in a time of 4:12.07 behind Daiya Seto of Japan and Jay Litherland of the United States. This April, at the New Zealand National Championships, Lewis demolished his Worlds time by posting an astonishing 4:09.87.
Brendon, 21, is based out of the Nunawading Swim Club in Melbourne, where he trains under Wayne Lawes. He has previously won international medals at the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships and 2019 World University Games; all of these medals were in freestyle events. Brendon's freestyle prowess has given him a lethal back end in the 400m IM, which is now unquestionably his strongest event.
As for the competitiveness between the two F-Teamers who share so many similarities, Smith made it clear that their rivalry is concentrated in the pool. "Last year at ISL Lewis and I both swam for New York Breakers where we spent 6 weeks in Budapest. I got to know Lewis really well and consider him a great mate."
We're looking forward to watching Brendon hit the water for the first time after Tokyo when ISL Season 3 begins.