2024-07-27 18:41:17
On Saturday, the 29-year-old man from Panevėžys experienced these emotions himself – he started in the qualifying competition of 400 m freestyle swimming.
D. Rapšys covered the distance in 3 minutes. 46.27 sec. and took tenth position overall. Semi-final competitions are not held at this distance, so the eight swimmers who recorded the best time in the selection made it to the next stage (final), although D. Rapšis is not on this special list.
The tenth place means that the swimmer from Lithuania will take the place of the “reserve swimmer” in the final, but in order for him to appear in the evening program, D. Rapšius needs that even two athletes who made it to the final do not appear in the final swim for one reason or another.
“No, no, no chance”, – D. Rapšys assessed his chances of getting the “lucky ticket” after the swim, it is true that the Panevėžys, who was left behind in the final, did not survive too much – he described the swim in few words: “Not bad. I thought that the final would “close” even faster.”
The Olympian, who missed the final, added that this swim became an introduction to the future starts in Paris.
“We didn’t focus too much on the 400 m swimming, we are more (preparing) for the 200 m swimming competition, the body felt good, but it is very difficult to move in the mornings.” I can’t sail to my full potential, it would be much different if it were in the evening”, said D. Rapšys.
However, after getting out of the pool, the Lithuanian continued to solve his puzzles, not understanding why his performances in the morning often end not as he and his team would like.
“I always miss something in the morning. In the evening, I think, it would be much faster. But it is as it is, this is the Olympics.
Sometime after vacation I came and in the evening I swam almost two seconds faster than now. In the morning I had arrived in 3 minutes 51 seconds – I barely got back, I barely got out, in the evening it was seven seconds faster and I wasn’t even tired.
The team made me feel good, but I have some personal problems,” the Lithuanian added.
After the performance, the man from Panevėžys turned to the stands and started waving. Who was this gesture for?
“I waved to my mother, but I can’t see anyone among so many people, I don’t even know who she is and where she is sitting,” the swimmer smiled.
Before these Games, D. Rapšys emphasized their importance – the Panevėžys remembered his debut in Brazil in 2016 as a good experience, and his appearance in Tokyo in 2021 as a tragedy, so this Olympics is like an additional challenge for the athlete and an opportunity to rehabilitate.
We remind you that Andrius Šidlauskas was the first of the seven members of the Lithuanian swimming team to jump into the pool on Saturday. The Lithuanian competed in the 100m breaststroke qualifying competition, but he failed to make it to the semi-finals.
D.Rapšys, who warmed up his body in the selection competition, will also start in the 100 m, 200 m and 200 m freestyle relay swims at these Olympic Games.
The 400 m freestyle final will take place on Saturday at 7 p.m. 52 min.
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, and you can follow their progress and the hottest comments from athletes lrytas.lt portal.
2024-07-27 18:41:17